seon6 seoi2 teoi1 zau1順水推舟顺水推舟

Jyutpingseon6 seoi2 teoi1 zau1

Yaleseuhn séui tēui jāu

動詞

Definition

To push the boat with the current; to take advantage of an existing situation to achieve one's goal.

colloquialdaily actions

How it's used

This idiom describes a strategic approach where one leverages existing circumstances to achieve a desired outcome without exerting extra effort. It carries a slightly opportunistic nuance, often implying that the speaker is clever enough to ride the momentum of a situation created by others. It is frequently used in business or social contexts to describe someone who knows how to navigate power dynamics effectively.

Examples

gei3既jin4然keoi5佢dou1都hang2肯bong1幫sau2手，ngo5我dei6哋zau6就seon6順seoi2水teoi1推zau1舟laa1啦。

Since he is willing to help, let's just go with the flow and use the opportunity.

nei5你sai2使m4唔sai2使seon6順seoi2水teoi1推zau1舟，giu3叫keoi5佢seon6順bin2便bong1幫nei5你maai4埋daan1單？

Do you want to take advantage of the situation and ask him to pay the bill for you too?

Common phrases

seon6順seoi2水teoi1推zau1舟gam3咁zou6做

to do something by going with the flow

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for simply going with the flow or being passive, but it actually implies a calculated, active effort to steer a situation toward one's own benefit.