sai3 jyu4 po3 zuk1勢如破竹势如破竹

Jyutpingsai3 jyu4 po3 zuk1

Yalesai yùh po jūk

形容詞

Definition

Unstoppable; describing a situation that progresses smoothly without any resistance, like a hot knife through butter.

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How it's used

This idiom describes a situation where progress is so rapid and smooth that it feels like there is no resistance at all. It is often used in competitive contexts like sports, business, or academic projects to highlight a streak of success. While it sounds formal due to its classical origins, it is frequently used in modern speech to emphasize momentum.

Examples

keoi5佢dei6哋gam1今coeng4場bo1波sai3勢jyu4如po3破zuk1竹，jeng4贏ngaang6硬㗎gaa2喇。

They are on a roll this match, they are definitely going to win.

nei5你gin3見keoi5佢zou6做je5嘢sai3勢jyu4如po3破zuk1竹，hou2好faai3快zau6就gaau2搞dim6掂saai3晒。

You can see they are making unstoppable progress, they will finish everything very soon.

Common phrases

sai3勢jyu4如po3破zuk1竹gam3咁jeng4贏

to win in an unstoppable manner

sai3勢jyu4如po3破zuk1竹ge3嘅zeon3進zin2展

unstoppable progress

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a literal description of physical force, but it is strictly used to describe the speed and ease of progress in a process or competition. Avoid using it to describe static states or simple actions that do not involve overcoming obstacles.