ngaan5 bat1 gin3 wai4 gon1 zeng6眼不見為乾淨眼不见为干净

Jyutpingngaan5 bat1 gin3 wai4 gon1 zeng6

Yalengáahn bāt gin wàih gōn jehng

Definition

Out of sight, out of mind; to consider something clean as long as one does not see the dirt.

colloquialdaily actionsslang

How it's used

This phrase is used to justify ignoring a problem or a mess that one knows exists but chooses not to confront. It carries a sense of willful ignorance or pragmatic avoidance rather than actual cleanliness. People often use it when they want to maintain peace of mind by avoiding unpleasant details.

Examples

gaan3間fong2房gam3咁lyun6亂，ngaan5眼bat1不gin3見wai4為gon1乾zeng6淨laa1啦。

The room is so messy, just ignore it and it will be fine.

nei5你m4唔hou2好heoi3去tai2睇go3個cyu4廚fong2房，ngaan5眼bat1不gin3見wai4為gon1乾zeng6淨aa4呀。

Don't go look at the kitchen, out of sight out of mind.

Common phrases

ngaan5眼bat1不gin3見wai4為zing6淨

out of sight, out of mind

Common mistake

Do not use this to describe actual hygiene or sanitation, as it is strictly a metaphorical expression about psychological comfort. It is not a literal claim that something is clean.