dai1 tau4 cit3 juk6 ，baa2 ngaan5 hon3 jan4低頭切肉，把眼看人低头切肉，把眼看人
Jyutpingdai1 tau4 cit3 juk6 ，baa2 ngaan5 hon3 jan4
Yaledāi tàuh chit yuhk ，bá ngáahn hon yàhn
Definition
To treat customers or people differently based on the estimated benefits one expects to receive from them.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
This idiom describes a person who is blatantly transactional in their social interactions. It paints a vivid picture of someone who only pays attention to those they deem useful or wealthy, while ignoring those they consider beneath them. It is a harsh criticism often used to call out someone for being superficial or opportunistic.
Related words
Common phrases
to be a snobbish person
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a literal description of someone working in a butcher shop. It is strictly a metaphorical expression for social behavior and should never be used to describe actual manual labor.
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.
