dai1 tau4低頭低头

Jyutpingdai1 tau4

Yaledāi tàuh

動詞Common

Definition

To lower one's head; to bow or submit.

to lower or bow one's head
figurativeto submit, yield, or admit defeat

colloquialbodypeople

How it's used

Beyond the literal action of lowering one's head, this term is frequently used metaphorically to describe yielding or admitting defeat in a conflict. It carries a sense of social humility or forced submission rather than just physical movement. It is often paired with the concept of losing face or acknowledging a mistake.

Examples

keoi5佢zou6做co3錯zo2咗si6事，wai4唯jau5有dai1低tau4頭jing6認co3錯laa1啦。

He did something wrong, so he has no choice but to bow his head and apologize.

nei5你zou6做me1咩dai1低tau4頭m4唔ceot1出seng1聲aa4呀？

Why are you bowing your head and not saying anything?

Common phrases

dai1低tau4頭jing6認co3錯

to bow one's head and admit a mistake

dai1低tau4頭m4唔jyu5語

to bow one's head in silence

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with the common action of looking down at a phone, which is usually described as 撳電話 or 睇手機. Using 低頭 for phone usage is understood but sounds slightly more formal or descriptive of the posture rather than the activity.