seon6 dak1 go1 cing4 sat1 sou2 ji3順得哥情失嫂意顺得哥情失嫂意
Jyutpingseon6 dak1 go1 cing4 sat1 sou2 ji3
Yaleseuhn dāk gō chìhng sāt sóu yi
Definition
To please one party at the expense of another; to be caught in a dilemma where it is impossible to satisfy everyone.
colloquialpeopleemotion
How it's used
This idiom captures the frustration of being trapped in a no-win situation where pleasing one person inevitably offends another. It is frequently used in family conflicts or workplace politics where maintaining neutrality is impossible. The imagery reflects the traditional cultural tension between a man's loyalty to his birth family and his obligations to his spouse.
Examples
Both sides are good friends, it is truly a dilemma.
Related words
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.
