mou4 bou2 jyu1 si6無補於事无补于事

Jyutpingmou4 bou2 jyu1 si6

Yalemòuh bóu yū sih

Definition

To no avail; useless; not helping the situation.

colloquialother

How it's used

This idiom is used to describe situations where an action or effort will not change the outcome of a problem. It carries a slightly formal or literary tone despite being used in spoken Cantonese, often appearing in advice or when reflecting on past mistakes. It is frequently paired with verbs like 講 or 喊 to emphasize the futility of emotional or verbal reactions.

Examples

nei5你ji4而gaa1家haam3喊dou1都mou4無bou2補jyu1於si6事㗎gaa2喇。

It is to no avail even if you cry now.

gei3既jin4然ji5已ging1經faat3發sang1生zo2咗，gong2講zoi3再do1多dou1都mou4無bou2補jyu1於si6事。

Since it has already happened, saying more is to no avail.

Common phrases

haam3喊dou1都mou4無bou2補jyu1於si6事

crying is to no avail

gong2講dou1都mou4無bou2補jyu1於si6事

talking is to no avail

Common mistake

Learners often mistakenly use this as a direct translation for useless or broken, but it specifically refers to the inability to fix a situation or change a result. It is not used to describe physical objects that do not work.