sau1 maai5 jan4 sam1收買人心收买人心
Jyutpingsau1 maai5 jan4 sam1
Yalesāu máaih yàhn sām
Definition
To buy popular support; to win people over through unethical means or material benefits.
colloquialpeoplemoney
How it's used
This idiom carries a strong negative connotation, implying that the support gained is insincere or manipulative. It is frequently used in political or workplace contexts to describe someone who uses superficial favors or material gifts to mask their true intentions. Unlike genuine generosity, this action suggests a calculated trade-off where the benefactor expects loyalty in return.
Examples
He is always handing out money to buy support; it's so hypocritical.
Do you really think you can buy people's hearts just by treating them to a meal?
Related words
Common phrases
using tactics to buy support
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a positive term meaning to win someone over through kindness, but it almost always implies a lack of integrity or a hidden agenda.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
