fung1 sing1 hok6 leoi6風聲鶴唳风声鹤唳
Jyutpingfung1 sing1 hok6 leoi6
Yalefūng sīng hohk leuih
Definition
To panic at the slightest movement; to be jittery and easily spooked by any minor change.
colloquialemotiondescriptions
How it's used
This idiom describes a state of extreme anxiety where a person perceives every minor event as a sign of impending disaster. It is often used to criticize someone for being overly suspicious or jumpy when there is no real threat. Unlike simply being scared, it implies a psychological state of constant, irrational hyper-vigilance.
Examples
He is so jittery lately, even the slightest sound startles him.
Related words
Common phrases
to cause a state of panic
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a literal description of hearing sounds, but it is strictly used to describe a person's internal state of panic. It is not used to describe actual dangerous situations, but rather the overreaction to them.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
