lung6 haau2 faan2 zyut3弄巧反拙
Jyutpinglung6 haau2 faan2 zyut3
Yaleluhng háau fáan jyut
Definition
To outsmart oneself; to try a clever trick only to have it backfire and make things worse.
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How it's used
This idiom describes a situation where an attempt to improve something through cleverness or extra effort leads to the exact opposite of the intended outcome. It implies that the person had good intentions but lacked the necessary foresight or skill. It is frequently used in professional or creative contexts when a project is over-engineered or over-edited.
Examples
He wanted to help make the design look better, but he ended up making it worse.
Related words
Common phrases
the result backfired
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a simple mistake or accident, but it specifically requires the element of trying to be clever or helpful. It is not used for simple errors or bad luck.
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.
