saam1 nin4 m4 faat3 si5, faat3 si5 dong3 saam1 nin4三年唔發市，發市當三年三年唔发市，发市当三年
Jyutpingsaam1 nin4 m4 faat3 si5, faat3 si5 dong3 saam1 nin4
Yalesāam nìhn m̀h faat si5, faat síh dong sāam nìhn
Definition
A business that rarely makes a sale, but makes enough profit from a single transaction to last for years.
colloquialmoneywork
How it's used
This proverb highlights a business model characterized by long periods of inactivity followed by a single, highly lucrative transaction. It is frequently used to describe high end luxury sales, specialized consulting, or seasonal trades where volume is low but margins are immense. The phrase emphasizes patience and the ability to survive long dry spells.
Examples
He works in a business where you might go years without a sale, but one deal covers everything.
Related words
Common phrases
three years without a sale
one sale covers three years
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
