wong4 can1 gwok3 cik1皇親國戚皇亲国戚
Jyutpingwong4 can1 gwok3 cik1
Yalewòhng chān gwok chīk
Definition
Relatives of the imperial family; by extension, relatives of a person of great power, authority, or status.
- relatives of the imperial family
- figurativerelatives of a person of great power or status, such as a boss's relatives
colloquialworkpeople
How it's used
Used primarily in a workplace context to describe nepotism or people who hold positions due to their connections rather than merit. It carries a strong sense of irony or resentment, implying that these individuals are untouchable or incompetent. While it literally refers to royalty, it is now almost exclusively applied to corporate environments or organizations where personal relationships dictate hiring and promotion.
Examples
The company is full of the boss's relatives, it's hard to get things done.
Related words
Common phrases
the company's nepotistic hires
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe your own family members in a neutral way, as it is almost always a derogatory label used by outsiders to criticize an unfair work environment.
Grammar color guide
Noun
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Adjective
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
