fu2 seoi2苦水
Jyutpingfu2 seoi2
Yalefú séui
Definition
Grievances, sufferings, or bitter complaints about one's hardships.
colloquialemotionpeople
How it's used
Focuses on the act of unburdening oneself by recounting past hardships or ongoing frustrations. It is almost exclusively used in the phrase 吐苦水, which functions as a verb phrase meaning to vent or complain at length. The imagery suggests that the speaker is releasing bitter feelings that have been bottled up inside.
Examples
He is always complaining to me, making it sound so miserable.
Do you want to come and vent your grievances to me again today?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe physical pain or literal bitter taste. It is strictly for emotional or situational grievances shared with a listener.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
