yut6 kung4 jyu6 gin3 gwai2愈窮愈見鬼愈穷愈见鬼

Jyutpingyut6 kung4 jyu6 gin3 gwai2

Yaleyuht kùhng yuh gin gwái

Definition

Misfortunes never come singly; bad luck keeps piling up when one is already in a difficult situation.

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How it's used

This idiom describes a compounding cycle of misfortune where one setback triggers another. It captures the feeling of helplessness when life seems to conspire against someone who is already struggling. Unlike simple bad luck, it implies a sense of being trapped in a downward spiral.

Examples

zeoi3最gan6近jau6又beng6病jau6又mou5冇cin2錢，zan1真hai6係yut6愈kung4窮jyu6愈gin3見gwai2鬼。

I've been sick and broke lately, it really feels like when it rains, it pours.

nei5你hai6係mai6咪gok3覺dak1得zi6自gei2己yut6愈kung4窮jyu6愈gin3見gwai2鬼aa4呀？

Do you feel like you're having a streak of bad luck?

Common phrases

zan1真hai6係yut6愈kung4窮jyu6愈gin3見gwai2鬼

it really is just one thing after another

Common mistake

Avoid using this to describe minor inconveniences like missing a bus, as it is reserved for more serious or overwhelming life difficulties. It is not a literal description of seeing ghosts, but a metaphorical expression of persistent misfortune.