bat1 dak1 jiu3 ling5不得要領不得要领

Jyutpingbat1 dak1 jiu3 ling5

Yalebāt dāk yiu líhng

語句

Definition

To fail to grasp the main point; unable to perceive the crucial aspects of a matter.

neutralcommunication

How it's used

Used to describe a situation where someone fails to understand the core message or objective despite effort. It often implies that the speaker or the information provided is unclear or disorganized. While it sounds slightly more formal than everyday slang, it is perfectly acceptable in professional or academic discussions.

Examples

keoi5佢gong2講zo2咗hou2好noi6耐，ngo5我dou1都hai6係bat1不dak1得jiu3要ling5領。

He talked for a long time, but I still couldn't grasp the main point.

nei5你tai2睇jyun4完fan2份bou3報gou3告，hai6係mai6咪gok3覺dak1得bat1不dak1得jiu3要ling5領aa4呀？

After reading the report, do you feel like you haven't grasped the key points?

Common phrases

jyun4完cyun4全bat1不dak1得jiu3要ling5領

completely missing the point

Common mistake

Learners often mistakenly use this to mean simply not knowing something, but it specifically refers to missing the 'point' or 'essence' of a complex matter rather than just lacking factual knowledge.