dei6 leoi4地雷
Jyutpingdei6 leoi4
Yaledeih lèuih
Definition
Landmine; an explosive trap buried just beneath the ground that detonates when stepped on or driven over.
colloquialother
How it's used
Beyond the literal meaning of a military explosive, this term is frequently used metaphorically to describe a person or situation that is volatile and likely to cause an angry outburst. If someone is described as having a lot of地雷, it means they have many sensitive topics or triggers that others should avoid mentioning to prevent a conflict.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Be careful, that place is as dangerous as if there were landmines.
Do you know where the landmines are buried?
Related words
Common phrases
to step on a landmine or to play Minesweeper
to bury a landmine
Common mistake
Do not confuse the literal explosive with the metaphorical use, as native speakers will often use it to describe a person who is easily offended or a situation that is a trap.
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.
