sei2 jan4 gim1 lam1 lau4死人兼冧屋

Jyutpingsei2 jan4 gim1 lam1 lau4

Yaleséi yàhn gīm lām làuh

Definition

Misfortunes never come alone; an extreme streak of bad luck or a double disaster.

colloquialemotionother

How it's used

This idiom vividly captures the feeling of a cascading series of misfortunes. It is used exclusively in informal, spoken contexts to express frustration or resignation when multiple negative events occur simultaneously. The imagery of a death followed by a house collapse emphasizes the severity and overwhelming nature of the bad luck.

Examples

zan1真hai6係sei2死jan4人gim1兼lam3冧uk1屋，jau6又beng6病jau6又mou5冇cin2錢。

It is really one disaster after another, sick and broke too.

dim2點gaai2解wui2會sei2死jan4人gim1兼lam1冧uk1屋，joeng6樣joeng6樣dou1都m4唔seon6順？

Why does everything go wrong at once, with nothing working out?

Common phrases

zan1真hai6係sei2死jan4人gim1兼lam3冧uk1屋

really one disaster after another

Common mistake

Do not use this in formal writing or professional settings as it is highly colloquial and carries a heavy, dramatic tone. It is reserved for venting to close friends or family about personal hardships.