mei6 gin3 gun1 sin1 daa2 saam1 sap6 daai6 baan2未見官先打三十大板未见官先打三十大板

Jyutpingmei6 gin3 gun1 sin1 daa2 saam1 sap6 daai6 baan2

Yalemeih gin gūn sīn dá sāam sahp daaih báan

語句

Definition

To pay a price or suffer consequences before even having the chance to get what one wants.

colloquialmoneyother

How it's used

This idiom describes a situation where one is penalized or forced to pay a cost before the actual process or negotiation has even begun. It carries a strong sense of unfairness or being taken advantage of by a system or a person in power. While it originates from historical legal contexts, it is now frequently used in daily life to complain about bureaucratic hurdles or unreasonable upfront fees.

Examples

mei6未gin3見gun1官sin1先daa2打saam1三sap6十daai6大baan2板，jau6又jiu3要bei2畀cin2錢sin1先jau5有dak1得paai4排deoi2隊。

It is like paying a penalty before even getting a chance; I have to pay just to get in line.

le1呢fan2份gung1工mei6未gin3見gun1官sin1先daa2打saam1三sap6十daai6大baan2板，jiu3要gaau1交zo2咗bou3報meng2名fai3費sin1先。

This job is a rip-off; you have to pay an application fee before you even get an interview.

Related words

Common phrases

mei6未gin3見gun1官sin1先daa2打saam1三sap6十daai6大baan2板

to pay a penalty before getting a chance

Common mistake

Do not use this to describe a simple investment or a deposit. It specifically implies that the cost is an unfair or premature burden that does not guarantee a fair outcome.