baan6 saai3 je5扮晒嘢
Jyutpingbaan6 saai3 je5
Yalebaahn saai yéh
Definition
To show off, put on airs, or pretend to be significant and superior.
colloquialpeopleemotion
How it's used
Carries a strong sense of disapproval, implying that the person is putting on an act to appear more important or knowledgeable than they actually are. It is frequently used to call out someone who is being pretentious or showing off in an insincere way. The phrase is inherently critical and often used to gossip about someone's attitude.
Examples
He is always acting so superior, it is really annoying.
Why do you need to act all high and mighty? We know each other well.
Related words
Common phrases
acting in a pretentious manner
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with simply being professional or confident. It specifically implies that the person is faking their status or importance, making it a derogatory term rather than a neutral description of behavior.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
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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).
