au2 sam1嘔心呕心
Jyutpingau2 sam1
Yaleáu sām
Definition
Disgusting, revolting, or repulsive enough to make someone vomit.
colloquialemotiondescriptions
How it's used
Beyond describing physical revulsion, this word is frequently used to criticize overly cheesy or insincere displays of affection. It carries a strong sense of visceral discomfort, similar to how one might react to something physically sickening. While it can describe objects or situations, it is most commonly directed at people's words or behaviors.
Examples
His behavior is really disgusting.
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the idiom 嘔心瀝血, which is a formal, positive expression meaning to pour one's heart and blood into a project. Using the latter in casual conversation to describe something gross would be a major misunderstanding.
Grammar color guide
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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).
