teoi1 bo1 zo6 laan4推波助瀾推波助澜

Jyutpingteoi1 bo1 zo6 laan4

Yaletēui bō joh làahn

動詞

Definition

To add fuel to the flames; to instigate and encourage a situation to escalate.

colloquialcommunicationother

How it's used

This idiom carries a strong negative connotation, specifically describing someone who intentionally exacerbates a conflict or a bad situation. It is often used to criticize people who stir up trouble from the sidelines rather than being directly involved in the initial dispute. While it is a formal four character idiom, it is frequently used in casual conversation to describe social media drama or office gossip.

Examples

keoi5佢dei6哋喺hai2網mong5上soeng6推teoi1波bo1助zo6瀾，laan4搞gaau2到dou3件gin2事si6越jyut6鬧naau6越jyut6大。

They added fuel to the fire online, making the matter blow up even more.

nei5你m4唔hou2好zoi3再teoi1推bo1波zo6助laan4瀾laa1啦，bei2俾keoi5佢dei6哋zi6自gei2己gaai2解kyut3決laa1啦。

Don't add fuel to the fire anymore, let them solve it themselves.

Common phrases

喺hai2網mong5上soeng6推teoi1波bo1助zo6瀾

to add fuel to the fire online

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a positive way to encourage someone, but it is strictly used for negative situations where things are getting out of control. Never use it to describe helping someone succeed or supporting a good cause.