hek3 bat1 dou3 dik1 pou4 tou4 si6 syun1 dik1吃不到的葡萄是酸的
Jyutpinghek3 bat1 dou3 dik1 pou4 tou4 si6 syun1 dik1
Yalehek bāt dou dīk pòuh tòuh sih syūn dīk
Definition
Sour grapes; expressing jealousy over something one cannot have.
colloquialemotiondescriptions
How it's used
This idiom is used to describe someone who belittles something they failed to obtain to protect their own ego. It functions as a psychological defense mechanism where the person convinces themselves that the desired object was undesirable all along. While the full phrase is often used, speakers frequently shorten it to just 食唔到嘅葡萄係酸嘅 when criticizing someone's bitter attitude.
Related words
Common phrases
sour grapes mentality
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe someone who is simply jealous of another person's success. It specifically applies to situations where the speaker previously wanted the object but failed to get it, and only then started criticizing it.
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.
