baak6 maa5白馬白马
Jyutpingbaak6 maa5
Yalebaahk máh
Definition
A white horse, or a slang term for someone who knows nothing.
- white horse
- slangsomeone who knows nothing; clueless person
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How it's used
Beyond the literal meaning of a white horse, this term is used as a metaphor for someone who is naive, inexperienced, or completely clueless about a situation. It carries a slightly mocking tone when applied to people, implying they are a blank slate or lack common sense. Unlike the romanticized image of a prince on a white horse in Western culture, the Cantonese usage focuses strictly on the lack of knowledge or worldly experience.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
He is like a white horse, he knows nothing at all.
There is a white horse walking on the grass over there.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Western trope of a prince on a white horse, as the Cantonese slang usage is almost exclusively negative or critical regarding someone's intelligence or awareness.
Grammar color guide
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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.
