daa2 ngaan5 sik1打眼色
Jyutpingdaa2 ngaan5 sik1
Yaledá ngáahn sīk
Definition
To wink at someone; to give hints or signal with one's eyes.
colloquialcommunicationpeople
How it's used
Conveying a secret message through eye contact is the primary function of this phrase. It is frequently used in professional or social settings where verbal communication might be inappropriate or overheard by others. The action is often subtle and intended to signal someone to stop talking, leave, or pay attention to something specific.
Examples
He saw the boss coming in and immediately gave me a wink.
Why do you keep winking at me to tell me not to speak?
Related words
Common phrases
to give a wink
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the act of winking as a flirtatious gesture, but this term is strictly about non-verbal communication or signaling in a specific context. It is not used to describe a romantic wink.
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).
