sik6 zeng2 seoi2食井水
Jyutpingsik6 zeng2 seoi2
Yalesihk jéng séui
Definition
To get married and leave behind a hard life for a settled or comfortable one on land.
- slangof prostitutes: to leave the trade and get married
- datedof boat-dwelling women: to marry someone and settle down to live on dry land
- figurativeto marry into a wealthier or higher social class and live comfortably
colloquialpeopleother
How it's used
Originally referring to boat dwellers moving to land, this idiom has evolved to describe women marrying into a stable or higher social class. It carries a slightly dated or cynical tone, often implying a transition from a precarious or marginalized lifestyle to one of financial security. It is rarely used in modern professional contexts and is mostly found in older films or gossip about social mobility.
Examples
keoi5佢ji5以cin4前zou6做go2嗰haang4行，zung1終jyu1於wan2搵dou3到jan4人daai3帶keoi5佢soeng5上ngon6岸sik6食zeng2井seoi2水laa3喇。
She used to work in that industry, but finally found someone to take her ashore and marry her.
Do you think marrying into a wealthy family automatically means you will live a life of comfort?
Related words
Common phrases
to take her to live a comfortable life
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe just any marriage. It specifically implies a significant improvement in social or economic status, often from a background that was considered unstable or lower class.
Grammar color guide
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Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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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.
