faan1 gwai2 lou2 jyut6 beng2番鬼佬月餅番鬼佬月饼
Jyutpingfaan1 gwai2 lou2 jyut6 beng2
Yalefāan gwái lóu yuht béng
Definition
Bored or fed-up; a pun on the English word "mooncake" which sounds like "mun6 gik6" (extremely bored).
colloquialemotionslang
How it's used
This expression relies on a pun where the English word mooncake sounds like the Cantonese phrase 悶極, meaning extremely bored. It is a classic example of a 歇後語, a two-part allegorical saying where the first part sets up the context and the second part provides the meaning. Because it is quite playful and slightly dated, it is more commonly heard among older generations or used for comedic effect.
Examples
I have had nothing to do all day, I am so bored.
Are you feeling extremely bored and looking for someone to talk to?
Related words
Common phrases
to feel extremely bored
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use it as a literal description of food. It is strictly a pun for boredom and will cause confusion if used in a culinary context.
Grammar color guide
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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.
