daai6 bat1 liu5大不了

Jyutpingdaai6 bat1 liu5

Yaledaaih bāt líuh

形容詞Common

Definition

Serious or alarming, typically used in the negative or in rhetorical questions to mean of no consequence.

colloquialdescriptions

How it's used

Native speakers almost exclusively use this in negative or interrogative structures to downplay the significance of an event. It functions as a way to dismiss someone's anxiety or to challenge the perceived importance of a situation. When used in a question, it carries a strong rhetorical tone, implying that the situation is actually trivial.

Examples

zi2只hai6係ci4遲dou3到gei2幾fan1分zung1鐘，mou5冇me1咩daai6大bat1不liu5了ze1啫。

It's only a few minutes late, it's no big deal.

nei5你gok3覺dak1得ni1呢gin2件si6事hou2好daai6大bat1不liu5了me1咩？

Do you really think this matter is such a big deal?

Common phrases

mou5冇me1咩daai6大bat1不liu5了

nothing serious

hou2好daai6大bat1不liu5了

a big deal

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a literal measurement of size, but it is strictly about the severity or importance of a situation. Avoid using it in positive statements, as it sounds unnatural to say something is大不了 in a declarative, affirmative sense.