ze3 faa1 ging3 fat6借花敬佛

Jyutpingze3 faa1 ging3 fat6

Yaleje fā ging faht

動詞

Definition

To present someone with a gift that you yourself received from another person; to borrow a flower to offer to the Buddha.

colloquialpeopledaily actions

How it's used

This idiom carries a slightly self-deprecating or apologetic tone when you are giving a gift that you did not personally purchase or prepare. It is often used to acknowledge that the item was originally intended for you, but you are repurposing it to maintain social harmony or fulfill a social obligation. It is rarely used in a formal context, as it openly admits to the lack of original effort.

Examples

le1呢hap6盒beng2餅hai6係jan4人dei6哋sung3送ge3嘅，ngo5我ling1拎lai4嚟ze3借faa1花ging3敬fat6佛laa1啦。

This box of cookies was a gift from someone else, I'll just use it to pay a favor.

nei5你m4唔hou2好ze3借faa1花ging3敬fat6佛，sung3送di1啲jan4人dei2哋sung3送bei2畀nei5你ge2嘅je5嘢bei2畀ngo5我aa4呀。

Don't you dare use someone else's gift to me as a present for me.

Common phrases

ling1拎lai4嚟ze3借faa1花ging3敬fat6佛

to use something to pay a social favor

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a neutral way to describe giving a gift, but it specifically implies the item was not yours to begin with. Using it to describe a gift you bought yourself will confuse listeners, as it implies you are lying about the origin of the item.