ji5 ging2 haau6 jau4以儆效尤
Jyutpingji5 ging2 haau6 jau4
Yaleyíh gíng haauh yàuh
Definition
To punish a wrongdoer severely and publicly as a warning to deter others from making the same mistake.
writtenother
How it's used
Carries a formal and authoritative tone, often appearing in news reports or official statements regarding legal or disciplinary actions. It implies a sense of public spectacle where the punishment serves as a deterrent for the wider community. While it is a four-character idiom, it is frequently integrated into spoken sentences by adding a verb or particle to fit the flow of Cantonese grammar.
Examples
The company fired him to make an example of him.
The government needs to punish this case severely to deter others.
Related words
Common phrases
severely punish to deter others
Common mistake
Avoid using this in casual, everyday contexts like correcting a friend's minor mistake, as it sounds overly dramatic and implies a severe, institutional level of punishment.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
