daat6 gun1 gwai3 jan4達官貴人达官贵人

Jyutpingdaat6 gun1 gwai3 jan4

Yaledaaht gūn gwai yàhn

名詞

Definition

High officials and noble people; people of high social status both inside and outside of government.

writtenpeople

How it's used

This idiom carries a slightly archaic or formal tone, often used to describe the elite class in a somewhat detached or critical manner. While it refers to powerful figures, it is frequently employed in contexts where one is observing the social hierarchy from the outside. It is rarely used to address such people directly, as it would sound overly dramatic or even mocking.

Examples

le1呢coeng4場jin3宴wui6會ceng2請zo2咗hou2好do1多daat6達gun1官gwai3貴jan4人lai4嚟。

Many high-ranking officials and socialites were invited to this banquet.

keoi5佢ping4平si4時hou2好siu2少tung4同daat6達gun1官gwai3貴jan4人daa2打gaau1交dou6道。

He rarely interacts with people of high social status.

Common phrases

jin3宴ceng2請daat6達gun1官gwai3貴jan4人

to host a banquet for high-ranking officials

git3結gaau1交daat6達gun1官gwai3貴jan4人

to associate with people of high social status

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a neutral term like 官員, but it specifically emphasizes the combination of political power and social prestige. Using it to describe a regular government employee or a local civil servant is inappropriate and sounds unnatural.