si6 hau6 hung2 ming4事後孔明事后孔明
Jyutpingsi6 hau6 hung2 ming4
Yalesih hauh húng mìhng
Definition
To have hindsight; to offer advice or claim to know what should have been done only after the event is over.
colloquialpeoplecommunication
How it's used
This term uses the historical figure 孔明, a brilliant strategist from the Three Kingdoms period, to mock someone who acts like a genius only after a situation has already unfolded. It is almost exclusively used in a critical or dismissive tone to call out people who offer unhelpful advice or criticism after a failure. It functions as a noun, often paired with 係 or 做.
Examples
You are only saying this now; it is just hindsight.
Stop being a Monday morning quarterback; you didn't say anything back then.
Related words
Common phrases
to act like a Monday morning quarterback
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with being genuinely helpful. Using this phrase is inherently confrontational and implies that the person's input is useless because it comes too late to change the outcome.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
