sau2 jip6守業守业
Jyutpingsau2 jip6
Yalesáu yihp
Definition
To maintain and carry on a family business or inheritance.
neutralworkfamily
How it's used
Often used in the context of family businesses where a successor inherits an established enterprise. It carries a sense of duty and the pressure to prevent the decline of what previous generations built. While it can apply to any business, it is most frequently invoked when discussing the transition between generations.
Examples
His dad retired, so he has to take responsibility for maintaining the family business.
Do you think maintaining a business is even harder than starting one?
Related words
Common phrases
Starting a business is hard, but maintaining it is harder.
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 創業, which refers to the initial phase of starting a company from scratch. Learners sometimes use 守業 to describe general management, but it specifically implies the burden of preserving an existing legacy.
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.
