waan4 ceot1 fo2玩出火

Jyutpingwaan4 ceot1 fo2

Yalewàahn chēut fó

Definition

To play with fire; to get into serious trouble by not taking things seriously or by messing around.

colloquialdaily actionsemotion

How it's used

Describes situations where a casual or reckless attitude leads to serious, often unintended consequences. It implies that the person involved initially treated the situation as a game or joke, only to realize too late that the stakes were higher than anticipated. It is frequently used as a warning to someone who is pushing boundaries or taking unnecessary risks.

Examples

nei5你seng4成jat6日gam3咁joeng2樣liu4撩keoi5佢，siu2小sam1心waan2玩ceot1出fo2火aa4呀。

You keep provoking him like that, be careful you'll end up in big trouble.

keoi5佢dei6哋waan2玩waan2玩haa5下，zeoi3最hau6後zan1真hai6係waan2玩ceot1出fo2火laa3喇。

They were just messing around, but in the end, it really backfired.

Related words

see alsowaan2 waan2 haa5玩玩下wán wán háhsynonymceot1 si6出事chēut sih

Common phrases

siu2小sam1心waan2玩ceot1出fo2火

be careful of playing with fire

zaan2盞waan2玩ceot1出fo2火

only going to end up in trouble

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with the English idiom "playing with fire," which often implies knowing the danger beforehand. In Cantonese, 玩出火 specifically emphasizes the transition from a lighthearted or careless start to a disastrous outcome.