seon6 sau2 hin1 joeng4順手牽羊顺手牵羊
Jyutpingseon6 sau2 hin1 joeng4
Yaleseuhn sáu hīn yèuhng
Definition
To steal someone's belongings when they are not looking; to take something without permission.
colloquialdaily actionsother
How it's used
Describes an act of opportunistic theft where someone takes advantage of a momentary lapse in supervision. It implies a sense of casualness or convenience rather than a premeditated heist. While it carries a negative connotation, it is often used to describe minor acts of pilfering in a social or workplace setting.
Examples
Seeing the bag left there, he just took it away while no one was looking.
Don't you go around taking other people's things when they aren't looking.
Related words
Common phrases
to opportunistically take away
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with general stealing, but it specifically requires the element of opportunity. It is not used for planned burglary or robbery where force or complex preparation is involved.
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.
