bat1 zi3 ho2 fau2不置可否

Jyutpingbat1 zi3 ho2 fau2

Yalebāt ji hó fáu

語句Uncommon

Definition

To remain noncommittal; to decline to say yes or no, or offer an opinion.

writtencommunicationpeople

How it's used

Carries a formal and slightly literary tone, often used in news reports or professional contexts to describe someone avoiding a direct stance. It is rarely used in casual, everyday conversation where people would instead say 唔講係定唔係 or 唔表態. Using it in a very informal setting might make you sound like you are reading from a newspaper.

Examples

ngo5我man6問keoi5佢dim2點tai2睇，keoi5佢zi2只hai6係bat1不zi3置ho2可fau2否。

I asked him what he thought, but he just remained noncommittal.

min6面deoi3對ni1呢go3個gin3建ji5議，lou5老baan2闆bat1不zi3置ho2可fau2否gam3咁siu3笑zo2咗siu3笑。

Faced with this suggestion, the boss smiled noncommittally.

Common phrases

taai3態dou6度bat1不zi3置ho2可fau2否

to have a noncommittal attitude

Common mistake

Learners often mistakenly treat this as a verb that can take an object directly, but it functions more like an adjective or a descriptive state. You cannot say 不置可否咗個問題; instead, use it to describe the person's attitude or reaction.