冰封三尺，非一日之寒 [－－－－－－－－－－]

Jyutping bing1 fung1 saam1 cek3 fei1 jat1 jat6 zi1 hon4
Pinyin bīng fēng sān chǐ ， fēi yī rì zhī hán

Definitions (粵典–words.hk)
  1. 語句
    字面​指​冇​可能​喺​一日​之內​，​就​凍​到​結成​三尺​厚​嘅​冰​層​；​比喻​壞​情況​係​日積​月​累​而​形成
    a bad situation did not spontaneously happen, but happened gradually by neglect or otherwise; literally: one chilly day doesn't produce three feet of ice
    • 冰封三尺，非一日之寒，我同佢之間，亦係埋藏咗好多心病未徹底解決，先至決裂。
      冰封三尺，非一日之寒，我同佢之间，亦系埋藏咗好多心病未彻底解决，先至决裂。
      bing1 fung1 saam1 cek3, fei1 jat1 jat6 zi1 hon4, ngo5 tung4 keoi5 zi1 gaan1, jik6 hai6 maai4 cong4 zo2 hou2 do1 sam1 beng6 mei6 cit3 dai2 gaai2 kyut3, sin1 zi3 kyut3 lit6.
      It wasn't a spontaneous thing. We fell apart due to long standing issues that were not satisfactorily resolved.
Examples (粵典–words.hk)
  1. Cantonese
    冰封三尺，非一日之寒
    冰封三尺，非一日之寒
    bing1 fung1 saam1 cek3, fei1 jat1 jat6 zi1 hon4
    • The outcome is the result of a series of events over a long period of time, rather than a single event. (Literal meaning: A three-foot-thick slab of ice is not the result of the coldness in a single day.)
  2. Cantonese
    冰封三尺，非一日之寒，我同佢之间，亦系埋藏咗好多心病未彻底解决，先至决裂。
    冰封三尺，非一日之寒，我同佢之間，亦係埋藏咗好多心病未徹底解決，先至決裂。
    bing1 fung1 saam1 cek3, fei1 jat1 jat6 zi1 hon4, ngo5 tung4 keoi5 zi1 gaan1, jik6 hai6 maai4 cong4 zo2 hou2 do1 sam1 beng6 mei6 cit3 dai2 gaai2 kyut3, sin1 zi3 kyut3 lit6.
    • It wasn't a spontaneous thing. We fell apart due to long standing issues that were not satisfactorily resolved.