haa6 daam6 hei3下啖氣下啖气
Jyutpinghaa6 daam6 hei3
Yalehah daahm hei
Definition
To swallow one's anger; to suppress one's rage.
colloquialemotionpeople
How it's used
Literally meaning to swallow a breath, this expression captures the physical sensation of suppressing an emotional outburst. It is almost exclusively used when someone chooses to endure unfair treatment or insults to avoid conflict, rather than simply being patient. It implies a sense of forced resignation or swallowing one's pride.
Examples
He gets scolded all the time, so he just has to swallow his anger.
Related words
Common phrases
swallow one's anger and let it go
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with simply being patient or tolerant, as it specifically refers to the act of holding back a reaction to provocation or injustice. It is not used for general waiting or long-term endurance of hardship.
Grammar color guide
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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.
