goek3 jyun5腳軟脚软
Jyutpinggoek3 jyun5
Yalegeuk yúhn
Definition
To have weak legs; to go weak at the knees with no strength to support oneself.
colloquialbodydescriptions
How it's used
This expression captures a physical sensation of weakness that can be triggered by extreme fatigue or intense fear. It is frequently used to describe the immediate physiological response to a sudden shock or a terrifying sight. While it literally refers to the legs, it is rarely used in a medical context to describe chronic weakness or illness.
Examples
I went weak at the knees immediately when I saw that big dog.
Related words
Common phrases
scared to the point of having weak legs
walking until one's legs give out
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe general tiredness in the whole body, as it specifically focuses on the instability of the legs. It is not a formal way to describe muscle atrophy or clinical weakness.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
