gau2 hyut3 lam4 tau4狗血淋頭狗血淋头
Definition
To be scolded severely and left speechless or miserable.
How it's used
This idiom vividly captures the image of someone being drenched in blood, metaphorically representing a verbal lashing so severe that the recipient is left completely demoralized and unable to retort. It is almost exclusively used to describe the aftermath of a heated confrontation where one party is clearly in a position of power or moral high ground. While it implies a harsh scolding, it focuses more on the submissive, defeated state of the person being scolded rather than just the act of scolding itself.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a literal description of violence, but it is strictly used for verbal reprimands. Avoid using it to describe physical fights or general arguments where both sides are shouting back and forth, as it requires the recipient to be in a passive, silenced state.
Grammar color guide
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.
