mou5 sau2 mei5冇手尾

Jyutpingmou5 sau2 mei5

Yalemóuh sáu méih

形容詞

Definition

Irresponsible in leaving things untidy or leaving tasks unfinished.

careless; leaving things messy or not tidying up after finishing
leaving tasks half-done; giving up on a task before finishing it

colloquialdaily actionspeople

How it's used

Literally referring to having no 'hand tail', this expression captures the frustration of someone who finishes a task but leaves the aftermath for others to deal with. It is frequently used by parents scolding children or colleagues complaining about shared workspaces. It implies a lack of responsibility rather than just being naturally disorganized.

Examples

nei5你jung6用jyun4完di1啲gung1工geoi6具gei3記dak1得baai2擺faan1返hou2好，m4唔hou2好gam3咁mou5冇sau2手mei5尾aa4呀。

Remember to put the tools back after you use them, don't be so messy.

keoi5佢ci3次ci3次zyu2煮jyun4完faan6飯dou1都mou5冇sau2手mei5尾，gaau2搞dou3到cyu4廚fong2房hou2好lyun6亂。

Every time they finish cooking they leave a mess, making the kitchen so untidy.

Common phrases

zap1執sau2手mei5尾

to clean up someone else's mess

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with simply being messy or untidy in general. It specifically refers to the failure to clean up or complete the final steps of a task you have just finished.