sing4 heoi1 ji4 jap6乘虛而入乘虚而入
Jyutpingsing4 heoi1 ji4 jap6
Yalesìhng hēui yìh yahp
Definition
To take advantage of someone's lack of preparation or weak defenses to strike or break in.
neutralother
How it's used
Carries a strong sense of opportunism and often implies a lack of integrity or fairness. While it can describe physical break-ins, it is frequently used metaphorically in social or business contexts to describe someone who exploits a person's emotional vulnerability or a competitor's temporary weakness.
Examples
They took advantage of the internal chaos at the company to break in and seize the market.
Are you trying to swoop in and steal his girlfriend while he is vulnerable?
Related words
Common phrases
an opportunity to exploit a weakness
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a simple way to say 'to enter', but it specifically requires the context of exploiting a weakness or a gap in defense. Using it to describe a normal entry into a building or room would sound unnatural and overly dramatic.
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.
