joek3 faat3 saam1 zoeng1約法三章约法三章
Jyutpingjoek3 faat3 saam1 zoeng1
Yaleyeuk faat sāam jēung
Definition
To establish a set of rules or make an agreement before starting an activity to prevent future disputes.
neutralworkhome
How it's used
Originating from historical records regarding the Han dynasty, this idiom is used in modern Cantonese to establish clear boundaries or ground rules before starting a collaborative task. It carries a formal yet firm tone, often used when setting expectations to prevent future conflicts or misunderstandings. It is frequently employed in professional settings or when roommates or partners need to define house rules.
Examples
Let's make an agreement: no more being late from now on.
To avoid arguing, how about we set some ground rules first?
Common phrases
make an agreement first
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
