ting3 tin1 jau4 ming6聽天由命听天由命

Jyutpingting3 tin1 jau4 ming6

Yaleting tīn yàuh mihng

動詞Uncommon

Definition

To resign oneself to fate; to leave things to destiny or providence.

colloquialemotiondaily actions

How it's used

This idiom implies a sense of helplessness or a decision to stop struggling against an inevitable outcome. It is often used when a person has exhausted all possible efforts and chooses to accept whatever happens next with a calm or defeated attitude. While it sounds formal due to its four character structure, it is frequently used in casual conversation to express a shift in mindset from active striving to passive acceptance.

Examples

si6事dou3到jyu4如gam1今，wai4唯jau5有ting3聽tin1天jau4由ming6命laa1啦。

At this point, we can only resign ourselves to fate.

nei5你m4唔hou2好seng4成jat6日ting3聽tin1天jau4由ming6命，jiu3要zi6自gei2己zang1爭ceoi2取sin1先dak1得㗎。

Don't just resign yourself to fate all the time; you have to fight for what you want.

Common phrases

wai4唯jau5有ting3聽tin1天jau4由ming6命

can only resign to fate

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a sign of laziness, but it is specifically about accepting external circumstances beyond one's control rather than a lack of motivation in general tasks.