faan2 tou5反肚
Jyutpingfaan2 tou5
Yalefáan tóuh
Definition
To go belly up, especially of fish dying; to turn upside down.
- to die, of fish
- to turn upside down, with belly facing up
colloquialanimalsdaily actions
How it's used
Primarily used for aquatic animals like fish or turtles that float to the surface with their bellies exposed after dying. It carries a slightly informal or blunt tone, making it unsuitable for discussing the death of humans or pets like cats and dogs. It is also occasionally used metaphorically to describe a business or project that has completely failed or gone bankrupt.
Examples
Sorry, my goldfish died last night.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe a person lying on their back, as that would be interpreted as being dead. Use 瞓喺度 or 仰臥 instead.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
