zap1 san1 coi2執身彩执身彩
Jyutpingzap1 san1 coi2
Yalejāp sān chói
Definition
To have a lucky escape; to get off cheaply from a bad situation.
colloquialemotion
How it's used
This phrase is used to describe a situation where someone narrowly avoids a negative outcome or experiences an unexpected stroke of good fortune. It carries a sense of relief, often implying that the person escaped a bad situation by a hair's breadth. It is almost exclusively used in informal, spoken contexts to comment on a specific, completed event.
Examples
I was really lucky this time, I didn't get fined.
You just got lucky, you might not be so fortunate next time.
Related words
Common phrases
really got lucky
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with general luck. It specifically implies a lucky escape from a potentially bad scenario, rather than just winning a prize or having a good day.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
