tou1 gwong1 joeng5 fui3韜光養晦韬光养晦

Jyutpingtou1 gwong1 joeng5 fui3

Yaletōu gwōng yéuhng fui

動詞

Definition

To conceal one's strengths and bide one's time.

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How it's used

This idiom carries a sense of strategic patience and deliberate humility. It is often used in political or business contexts to describe someone who avoids drawing attention to their abilities while they are still preparing for a bigger goal. Unlike simply being quiet, it implies a calculated plan to eventually reveal one's true strength.

Examples

keoi5佢le1呢gei2幾nin4年tou1韜gwong1光joeng5養fui3晦，zung1終jyu1於dang2等dou3到gei1機wui6會soeng5上wai2位。

He has been biding his time for these few years and finally waited for a chance to rise.

nei5你gok3覺dak1得keoi5佢hai6係mai6咪soeng2想tou1韜gwong1光joeng5養fui3晦，m4唔soeng2想gam3咁faai3快ceot1出fung1風tau4頭？

Do you think he wants to keep a low profile and doesn't want to stand out so soon?

Common phrases

syun2選zaak6擇tou1韜gwong1光joeng5養fui3晦

choose to bide one's time

coeng4長kei4期tou1韜gwong1光joeng5養fui3晦

bide one's time for a long period

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for simply being shy or introverted. It is a highly formal, literary idiom that describes a tactical choice rather than a personality trait, so it sounds unnatural if used to describe someone who is just naturally quiet.