ming4 gam1 sau1 bing1鳴金收兵鸣金收兵

Jyutpingming4 gam1 sau1 bing1

Yalemìhng gām sāu bīng

動詞

Definition

To beat the gong to recall troops; to order a retreat or temporarily end a conflict.

colloquialworkdaily actions

How it's used

Originally a military term for signaling a retreat with gongs, this phrase is now widely used in daily life to mean stopping an activity or calling it a day. It carries a slightly dramatic or humorous tone when applied to mundane tasks like finishing work or ending a social gathering. It implies that the decision to stop is a strategic choice rather than just giving up.

Examples

gam1今jat6日zou6做m4唔jyun4完di1啲je5嘢，wai4唯jau5有ming4鳴gam1金sau1收bing1兵ting1聽jat6日zoi3再gaau2搞。

Can't finish the work today, so I have to call it a day and continue tomorrow.

coeng4場bo1波tek3踢dou3到gam3咁soeng6上haa2下，daai6大gaa1家hai6係mai6咪jing1應goi1該ming4鳴gam1金sau1收bing1兵？

We've been playing for a while now, should we call it a day?

Common phrases

wai4唯jau5有ming4鳴gam1金sau1收bing1兵

have no choice but to call it a day

Common mistake

Learners often use this in formal contexts where a simple 結束 or 停止 would be more appropriate. Remember that it is an idiomatic expression that sounds best when used to describe ending a project, a game, or a long day of effort.