gau6 faan6舊飯旧饭
Jyutpinggau6 faan6
Yalegauh faahn
Definition
An idiot, particularly someone who is slow, passive, or useless; literally a lump of rice.
colloquialpeoplefood
How it's used
Comparing someone to a lump of rice implies they are slow, unresponsive, or lacking common sense. It is a common way to tease friends or colleagues who are zoning out or failing to grasp a simple situation. The imagery suggests a person who just sits there like an inanimate object instead of engaging with their surroundings.
Examples
Why are you acting so stupid, like a total idiot?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 飯桶, which specifically implies someone who is useless and only good for eating. 舊飯 focuses more on the person being dull, slow, or blank, rather than just lazy or gluttonous.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
