daai6 faa1 min6大花面
Jyutpingdaai6 faa1 min6
Yaledaaih fā mihn
Definition
A dirty or messy face; or a painted-face male role in Cantonese opera.
- a dirty or messy face, often from poorly applied makeup
- a painted-face male character role in Cantonese opera
colloquialbodydescriptions
How it's used
Refers primarily to a face smeared with dirt, paint, or food, often implying a messy or comical appearance. While it originates from the painted faces in Cantonese opera, in daily life it is almost exclusively used to describe someone, especially a child, who has made a mess of their face.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
You have chocolate all over your face after eating; go wash your face quickly.
The child playing with sand and getting their face all dirty is really cute.
Related words
Common phrases
to make one's face all messy
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe someone who is simply ugly or has a skin condition, as it specifically implies that the mess on the face is external and temporary.
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.
