se3 bok3卸膊

Jyutpingse3 bok3

Yalese bok

動詞

Definition

To shirk responsibilities or pass the buck.

colloquialworkpeople

How it's used

The term literally refers to dislocating one's shoulder to avoid carrying a heavy load, which serves as a vivid metaphor for avoiding accountability. It is frequently used in office environments to describe colleagues who pass their tasks or blame onto others. The tone is accusatory and implies that the person is being lazy or dishonest.

Examples

nei5你zou6做je5嘢m4唔hou2好seng4成jat6日se3卸bok3膊laa1啦。

Don't always try to shirk your responsibilities when you work.

keoi5佢jau6又soeng2想se3卸bok3膊，teoi1推saai3晒di1啲je5嘢bei2畀ngo5我zou6做。

He wants to shirk his duties again and push all the work onto me.

Common phrases

seng4成jat6日se3卸bok3膊

always shirking responsibilities

zung1鍾ji3意se3卸bok3膊

likes to shirk responsibilities

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with 卸貨, which means to unload cargo from a vehicle. While both share the character 卸, 卸膊 is strictly used for metaphorical social or professional responsibilities.