mai5 ji5 sing4 ceoi1米已成炊
Jyutpingmai5 ji5 sing4 ceoi1
Yalemáih yíh sìhng chēui
Definition
The rice is already cooked; used to describe a situation that is already fixed and irreversible.
neutralother
How it's used
This idiom carries a sense of resignation, often used when someone is trying to change an outcome that has already been finalized. It is functionally similar to the English expression "spilled milk," though it focuses more on the completed state of a process rather than the loss itself. It is frequently used in professional or serious contexts to signal that further debate is futile.
Examples
Since the situation is already irreversible, you should stop thinking about it.
The contract is signed and the situation is fixed, how can we change it now?
Related words
Common phrases
what's done is done
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a literal description of cooking rice. It is strictly a figurative idiom and should not be used to describe actual food preparation.
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.
