haa1 jan4蝦人虾人
Jyutpinghaa1 jan4
Yalehā yàhn
Definition
Difficult to do well; demanding of the person doing it.
colloquialdescriptionsclothing
How it's used
Literally meaning to bully people, this phrase is used metaphorically to describe things that are unforgiving or demanding of the person using or wearing them. It highlights that a specific item or style requires a high level of skill or a certain physical trait to look good. It is most commonly applied to fashion, makeup, hairstyles, or aesthetic choices.
Examples
This color is hard to match; not everyone can pull it off.
This hairstyle is difficult to cut well; you should think it over first.
Related words
Common phrases
difficult to wear well
difficult to match well
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the literal meaning of bullying someone. If you say 佢好蝦人, it means that person is a bully, whereas 呢件衫好蝦人 means the dress is difficult to wear successfully.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
