saam1 ciu4 jyun4 lou5三朝元老

Jyutpingsaam1 ciu4 jyun4 lou5

Yalesāam chìuh yùhn lóuh

Definition

An employee who has worked under three successive generations of management.

colloquialworkpeople

How it's used

Originally referring to a high official serving three successive emperors, this term is now used metaphorically in the workplace to describe a long serving employee who has survived multiple leadership changes. It carries a sense of seniority and deep institutional knowledge, though it can sometimes imply a certain stubbornness or resistance to change. It is most commonly used to describe someone who has seen the company culture evolve over a long period.

Examples

keoi5佢喺hai2呢le1間gaan1公gung1司si1做zou6咗zo2三saam1朝ciu4元jyun4老lou5喇。

He has been at this company through three management changes.

nei5你zou6做zo2咗saam1三ciu4朝jyun4元lou5老，dim2點tai2睇ni1呢ci3次goi2改gaak3革aa4呀？

As someone who has seen three management shifts, what do you think of this reform?

Common phrases

gung1公si1司saam1三ciu4朝jyun4元lou5老

a veteran employee of the company

Common mistake

Do not use this to describe someone who has simply worked for a long time, as it specifically emphasizes the experience of surviving multiple management transitions or company restructures.