jyu4 jan4 dak1 lei6漁人得利渔人得利

Jyutpingjyu4 jan4 dak1 lei6

Yaleyùh yàhn dāk leih

Definition

To benefit from a dispute between two other parties.

colloquialother

How it's used

This idiom is derived from the classic fable of the snipe and the clam, where a fisherman catches both while they are locked in a struggle. It is used to warn people that their internal conflicts or competition will only serve to help an outside observer who is waiting to take advantage of the situation. It carries a cautionary tone and is often used in business or interpersonal disputes.

Examples

keoi5佢dei6哋loeng5兩go3個zang1爭zap1執，zeoi3最hau6後bei2畀jan4人jyu4漁jan4人dak1得lei6利。

The two of them argued, and in the end, someone else benefited from it.

nei5你dei6哋zoi3再cou4嘈lok6落heoi3去，zi2只wui2會bei2畀jan4人jyu4漁jan4人dak1得lei6利㗎zaa3咋。

If you two keep arguing, you'll just end up letting someone else reap the benefits.

Common phrases

bei2畀jan4人jyu4漁jan4人dak1得lei6利

let someone else benefit from the situation

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with the more common idiom 鷸蚌相爭，漁人得利, which is the full version of the story. Using only the last four characters is perfectly acceptable and common in speech, but you should be aware that the full version exists in formal writing.