jing4 tau4 siu2 lei6蠅頭小利蝇头小利
Jyutpingjing4 tau4 siu2 lei6
Yaleyìhng tàuh síu leih
Definition
Extremely small profit; petty gains.
colloquialmoney
How it's used
Carries a strong sense of disdain or judgment, implying that the person chasing these profits is short-sighted or petty. It is almost exclusively used to criticize someone for wasting time or effort on gains that are not worth the trouble. The imagery of a fly's head emphasizes how minuscule and insignificant the reward is compared to the effort expended.
Examples
Why do you need to work so hard just for these tiny profits?
He is always arguing with people over petty gains, it is really pointless.
Related words
Common phrases
to be greedy for petty gains
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
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Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
