fei2 bok6菲薄
Jyutpingfei2 bok6
Yaleféi bohk
Definition
Meager or humble; to look down on or belittle.
- meager; humble; simple
- to belittle; to look down on; to despise
writtendescriptionspeople
How it's used
This term functions in two distinct ways, either describing something as insufficient in quantity or describing the act of looking down on someone. When used to describe a salary or a gift, it often carries a humble tone, as if the speaker is apologizing for the small amount. It is a more formal or literary word compared to everyday alternatives like 少 or 睇唔起.
Examples
His salary is very meager, it's simply not enough to get by.
Related words
Common phrases
meager income
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 卑微, which refers to a low social status or humble position, whereas 菲薄 focuses on the lack of value or quantity.
Grammar color guide
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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).
