gou1 jan4 jat1 dang2高人一等
Jyutpinggou1 jan4 jat1 dang2
Yalegōu yàhn yāt dáng
Definition
A cut above the rest; superior to others.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Used primarily to describe someone who acts arrogant or condescending, implying they view themselves as socially or intellectually superior. It carries a strong negative connotation and is almost always used to criticize someone's behavior rather than to praise their actual abilities. It is common to hear it paired with verbs like 擺出 or 覺得 to describe the display of such an attitude.
Examples
He always puts on an attitude of being superior to everyone else.
Do you think you are a cut above the rest?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe someone who is genuinely talented or skilled in a neutral way. It is strictly for criticizing an arrogant, elitist, or holier than thou attitude.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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).
