dou6 cou2 jan4稻草人
Jyutpingdou6 cou2 jan4
Yaledouh chóu yàhn
Definition
Scarecrow; a human-shaped figure made of straw used to scare away birds from crops.
neutralnature
How it's used
Beyond its literal function in farming, this term is frequently used in political or social discourse to describe a straw man argument. When someone misrepresents an opponent's position to make it easier to attack, they are effectively building a fake target. This metaphorical usage is common in news commentary and heated online debates.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
The farmer put a scarecrow in the middle of the field.
Does that scarecrow really scare the birds away?
Related words
Common phrases
to make a scarecrow
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
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Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
