him1 heoi1謙虛谦虚
Jyutpinghim1 heoi1
Yalehīm hēui
Definition
Modest and humble; not arrogant or showing off one's talents.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Describes someone who avoids arrogance or self-promotion, often used to praise someone's character. Unlike formal written Chinese, in spoken Cantonese, people often use the phrase 認叻 to describe the opposite behavior of showing off or claiming credit. It is common to pair this adjective with the intensifier 好 to emphasize a genuine, deep-seated modesty.
Examples
He is usually very modest and never shows off.
Why are you being so modest? You clearly did a great job.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 客氣, which refers to being polite or formal in social interactions, whereas 謙虛 specifically refers to a lack of arrogance regarding one's own abilities or achievements.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
