bui3 hau6背後背后
Jyutpingbui3 hau6
Yalebui hauh
Definition
Behind; in the back; also used figuratively to mean behind someone's back.
- behind; at the back of
- figurativebehind someone's back; in secret
neutralpeoplecommunication
How it's used
Focuses heavily on the metaphorical sense of being hidden or secretive, especially regarding social interactions. While it can refer to physical location, it is most frequently used to describe actions done without someone's knowledge, such as gossiping or plotting.
Examples
Don't gossip behind people's backs.
It turns out someone had been following behind him the whole time.
Related words
Common phrases
to talk about someone behind their back
to support from behind the scenes
Common mistake
Avoid using this for simple physical location like 'behind the door' or 'behind the chair', where 後面 is much more natural and common. Reserve this for abstract or figurative contexts.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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).
