baat3 sap6 seoi3 faan1 tau4 gaa3八十歲返頭嫁八十岁返头嫁
Jyutpingbaat3 sap6 seoi3 faan1 tau4 gaa3
Yalebaat sahp seui fāan tàuh ga
Definition
To bring trouble upon oneself late in life, or to make unnecessary trouble for oneself.
colloquialpeopleother
How it's used
This idiom uses a vivid, slightly absurd image of an eighty-year-old person remarrying to convey the idea of inviting unnecessary chaos or disaster into one's life. It carries a strong sense of irony and is typically used to criticize someone for making a decision that is clearly going to backfire. It is much more colorful and emphatic than simply saying someone is making a mistake.
Examples
You doing this is simply asking for trouble.
Knowing it's dangerous and still going there, if that isn't asking for trouble, what is?
Related words
Common phrases
simply asking for trouble
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a literal description of elderly marriage, but it is strictly a metaphorical expression for self-inflicted trouble. It should never be used to describe actual marriage, as it would be highly offensive.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
