naan4 ci4 kei4 gau3難辭其咎难辞其咎

Jyutpingnaan4 ci4 kei4 gau3

Yalenàahn chìh kèih gau

動詞

Definition

To be unable to escape blame or responsibility.

writtenpeopleother

How it's used

This is a formal idiom that carries a heavy, serious tone, often used in professional or public contexts to acknowledge culpability. While it is a four-character idiom, it fits naturally into spoken Cantonese sentences when someone needs to make a firm statement about accountability. It is much stronger than simply saying someone made a mistake, as it implies a moral or official obligation that cannot be ignored.

Examples

gam1今ci3次gaau2搞seng4成gam3咁，nei5你zok3作wai4為fu6負zaak3責jan4人naan4難ci4辭kei4其gau3咎。

Things turned out this way, and as the person in charge, you cannot escape the blame.

le1呢gin2件si6事faat3發saang1生zo2咗，bin1邊go3個dou1都naan4難ci4辭kei4其gau3咎aa4呀。

Now that this has happened, no one can really absolve themselves of the blame.

Common phrases

naan4難ci4辭kei4其gau3咎

hard to absolve oneself of blame

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a simple way to say someone is wrong, but it specifically refers to the inability to shift blame away from oneself. It is not used for minor, everyday mistakes like dropping a glass or being late for a casual meeting.