tong4 seoi2 gwan2 tong4 jyu2塘水滾塘魚塘水滚塘鱼
Jyutpingtong4 seoi2 gwan2 tong4 jyu2
Yaletòhng séui gwán tòhng yú
Definition
An insular business situation where people only trade among themselves, limiting growth because the market cannot expand.
colloquialmoneywork
How it's used
This idiom vividly describes a closed loop where resources or profits circulate within a restricted group, preventing any real growth. It is frequently used in business or social contexts to critique a lack of ambition or an inability to attract outside interest. The imagery of fish being cooked in their own pond water highlights the self-defeating nature of such insular practices.
Examples
They always just trade among themselves, how can they make big money?
This circle is just trading within itself, it is hard to have any new development.
Related words
Common phrases
the mindset of trading only within one's own circle
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
