giu1 ngou6驕傲骄傲
Jyutpinggiu1 ngou6
Yalegīu ngouh
Definition
Arrogant, proud, or self-important; having an excessively lofty view of oneself.
neutraldescriptionspeople
How it's used
While often used to describe negative arrogance, this word can sometimes carry a positive nuance of feeling proud of an accomplishment, similar to the English sense of pride. However, in most social contexts, it is used as a warning against being conceited or overestimating one's own importance. It is frequently paired with the concept of being humble, known as 謙虛.
Examples
Even though he ranked first, he cannot be arrogant.
Don't be so arrogant in life, you need to be more humble.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the English word proud, which can be positive. In Cantonese, using 驕傲 to describe yourself or others in a casual setting can sound quite critical, so it is safer to use 值得自豪 when you want to express a healthy sense of pride in an achievement.
Grammar color guide
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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.
