daai3 ngaan5帶眼带眼
Jyutpingdaai3 ngaan5
Yaledaai ngáahn
Definition
To be cautious, careful, or attentive to one's surroundings.
colloquialdaily actionspeople
How it's used
Focuses on the imperative need for situational awareness or discernment in social interactions. It is frequently used as a warning to someone to be more street smart or to avoid being taken advantage of by others. The phrase implies that the person is currently acting blindly or naively.
Examples
Remember to be careful when you go out, don't get scammed.
Related words
Common phrases
to be discerning when choosing friends or partners
Common mistake
Do not use this to mean literally carrying one's eyes. It is strictly a figurative expression for being alert or cautious.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
