bei1 mei4卑微
Jyutpingbei1 mei4
Yalebēi mèih
Definition
Of low status, humble, or petty.
neutralpeopleemotion
How it's used
Beyond describing social status, this word often carries a strong emotional weight when describing someone who sacrifices their self-respect to please others. It implies a lack of dignity or a sense of inferiority in interpersonal relationships. It is frequently used in dramatic contexts or when reflecting on personal struggles with self-worth.
Examples
He feels that his background is very humble.
Why do you have to act so servile in front of others?
Related words
Common phrases
to be born into a humble background
extremely servile
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with humble in the sense of being modest, but it carries a much stronger negative connotation of being low-ranking or servile. Using it to describe a polite or modest person will sound like you are insulting them.
Grammar color guide
Noun
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Adjective
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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.
