hip3 tau4 hip3 nou5怯頭怯腦怯头怯脑
Jyutpinghip3 tau4 hip3 nou5
Yalehip tàuh hip nóuh
Definition
Timid, nervous, and looking frightened or cowardly.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
This reduplicated idiom describes someone who lacks confidence and appears jittery or overly cautious in social situations. It carries a slightly dismissive or critical tone, suggesting the person is unnecessarily timid rather than just shy. It is often used to describe someone who looks like they are constantly looking over their shoulder or afraid of making a mistake.
Examples
He acts all nervous and timid whenever he sees people, as if he is really scared.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 驚, which simply means to be afraid of something specific. 怯頭怯腦 describes a sustained, visible state of being timid or cowardly in one's demeanor, rather than a reaction to a particular threat.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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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.
