gu3 gei6顧忌顾忌

Jyutpinggu3 gei6

Yalegu geih

名詞Uncommon

Definition

Scruple, fear, or misgivings that prevent one from speaking or acting freely out of concern for others' opinions.

neutralpeopleemotion

How it's used

Focuses on the internal hesitation caused by social pressure or potential negative consequences. It describes the feeling of walking on eggshells when one fears that their actions might cause offense or invite trouble. It is often used in the negative to describe someone who is blunt or acts with total freedom.

Examples

keoi5佢gong2講je5嘢hou4毫mou4無gu3顧gei6忌，seng4成jat6日dak1得zeoi6罪jan4人。

He speaks without any scruples and always offends people.

nei5你hai2喺dou6度jau5有me1咩gu3顧gei6忌？m4唔sai2使geng1驚，zik6直zip3接gong2講laa1啦。

What are your misgivings here? Don't be afraid, just say it directly.

Common phrases

hou4毫mou4無gu3顧gei6忌

without any scruples

sam1心cyun4存gu3顧gei6忌

to harbor misgivings

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with 擔心, which is a general worry or anxiety about a future event. 顧忌 specifically implies that the hesitation is caused by external social factors or the need to maintain a certain image, rather than simple fear of an outcome.