gu1 lau6 gwaa2 man4孤陋寡聞孤陋寡闻

Jyutpinggu1 lau6 gwaa2 man4

Yalegū lauh gwá màhn

形容詞

Definition

Ignorant and ill-informed; having shallow knowledge and limited experience, usually used as a self-deprecating polite expression.

writtendescriptions

How it's used

This idiom functions as a humble way to admit one's lack of knowledge or limited experience. It is almost exclusively used to refer to oneself, often as a polite preface before asking a question or admitting unfamiliarity with a topic. Using it to describe others is considered rude and condescending, as it directly insults their intelligence or exposure to the world.

Examples

syu3恕ngo5我gu1孤lau6陋gwaa2寡man4聞，zan1真hai6係mei6未teng1聽gwo3過ni1呢go3個ming4名。

Pardon my ignorance, I really haven't heard of this name.

nei5你m4唔hou2好siu3笑ngo5我gu1孤lau6陋gwaa2寡man4聞，ngo5我zan1真hai6係dai6第jat1一ci3次gin3見。

Don't laugh at me for being unworldly, it's my first time seeing this.

Common phrases

syu3恕ngo5我gu1孤lau6陋gwaa2寡man4聞

pardon my ignorance

Common mistake

Learners often mistakenly use this to describe others, which comes across as an aggressive insult rather than a humble observation. Always restrict its use to self-deprecation.