hek3 bat1 siu1吃不消
Jyutpinghek3 bat1 siu1
Yalehek bāt sīu
Definition
To be unable to stand, bear, or tolerate something.
colloquialemotiondaily actions
How it's used
頂唔順 is the quintessential way to express being overwhelmed or unable to tolerate a situation, person, or physical sensation. It functions as a verb phrase where the object is placed between 頂 and 唔順, such as 頂佢唔順 for 'cannot stand him'. It carries a strong, visceral sense of reaching one's breaking point.
Related words
Common phrases
cannot handle the pressure
Common mistake
Learners often try to use 吃不消, which is Mandarin, in spoken Cantonese. While some might understand it, it sounds completely unnatural and out of place in a local conversation. Always use 頂唔順 instead.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
