hak1 bok6刻薄
Jyutpinghak1 bok6
Yalehāk bohk
Definition
Mean, harsh, and unkind in one's treatment of others.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Describes behavior that is intentionally ungenerous or cruel, often involving the withholding of expected kindness or fair treatment. It is frequently used to characterize bosses or landlords who exploit others for personal gain. When applied to speech, it implies a sharp, biting tone intended to belittle or hurt the listener.
Examples
He is very harsh to his staff and is always deducting their pay.
Do you really have to be so mean with your words?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 刻苦, which means to endure hardship or to work diligently. While both start with 刻, 刻薄 refers to how you treat others, whereas 刻苦 refers to how you treat yourself or your own work ethic.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
