laan6 syun4 dou1 jau5 saam1 gan1 deng1爛船都有三斤釘烂船都有三斤钉
Jyutpinglaan6 syun4 dou1 jau5 saam1 gan1 deng1
Yalelaahn syùhn dōu yáuh sāam gān dēng
Definition
Even when a person or organization meets with disaster, they still have some power or resources left.
colloquialother
How it's used
This proverb highlights the concept of residual value or hidden reserves. It is frequently used to reassure people that someone or something is not as finished or powerless as they might appear on the surface. The imagery of nails from a wrecked ship suggests that even when the main structure is destroyed, the high-quality materials remain valuable.
Examples
Even though his company is losing money, it still has some underlying strength.
nei5你mai1咪tai2睇siu2小keoi5佢，laan6爛syun4船dou1都jau5有saam1三gan1斤deng1釘，keoi5佢zung6仲jau5有hou2好do1多jan4人mak6脈。
Don't underestimate him; even after his downfall, he still has many connections.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
