sau1 kiu4 bou2 lou6修橋補路修桥补路
Jyutpingsau1 kiu4 bou2 lou6
Yalesāu kìuh bóu louh
Definition
To build bridges and repair roads; to perform charitable acts and good deeds.
colloquialpeopleother
How it's used
This idiom carries a strong sense of traditional morality and altruism, often implying that one is accumulating merit or karma through selfless acts. While it literally refers to infrastructure, it is almost exclusively used metaphorically to describe charity or helping others in need. It is frequently associated with the concept of building good fortune for oneself or one's descendants.
Examples
He has enjoyed doing good deeds his whole life and has helped many people.
Do you usually do good deeds?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a literal description of construction work, but it is purely idiomatic. It should not be used to describe actual civil engineering or road maintenance work.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
