fuk1 bui3 sau6 dik6腹背受敵腹背受敌
Jyutpingfuk1 bui3 sau6 dik6
Yalefūk bui sauh dihk
Definition
To be attacked from both front and back; trapped between two opposing forces.
writtenother
How it's used
This idiom is primarily used in formal or written contexts to describe a strategic or political disadvantage. While it can be used in speech to emphasize the severity of a situation, it sounds quite dramatic and literary compared to everyday colloquial expressions. It implies a total lack of maneuverability where every direction leads to conflict.
Examples
He is currently facing attacks from both sides, it is really hard to handle.
Facing the predicament of being attacked from both front and back, how do you plan to deal with it?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a physical description of a fight, but it is almost exclusively used metaphorically for abstract pressures, such as financial or professional crises.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
