faan2 waa2反話反话
Jyutpingfaan2 waa2
Yalefáan wá
Definition
Sarcasm, irony, or words spoken with the opposite of their literal meaning, often used to mock or conceal.
colloquialcommunication
How it's used
Using this term often implies that the speaker is deliberately saying the opposite of their true feelings to highlight a point or mock a situation. It is frequently paired with verbs like 講 or 講出嚟 to describe the act of delivering such a statement. The tone is usually critical or playful depending on the context of the conversation.
Measure word
geoi3句geuiExamples
He is just being sarcastic, don't take it so seriously.
Related words
Common phrases
to speak ironically
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 講大話, which means to tell a lie. While both involve saying something untrue, 講大話 is intended to deceive, whereas 反話 is intended to be understood as the opposite of the literal meaning by the listener.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
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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.
