hiu1蹺跷
Jyutpinghiu1
Yalehīu
Definition
To cross one's arms or legs, placing one over the other.
colloquialbodydaily actions
How it's used
This verb is almost always used with the aspect marker 埋, which emphasizes the state of being crossed or folded. It carries a subtle nuance of being idle, stubborn, or detached when used with arms, as it suggests a defensive or uncooperative posture. You will rarely hear it used alone without specifying which body part is being crossed.
Examples
Why are you standing there with your arms crossed instead of helping?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the word 翹, which refers to something being curled upwards or tilted. While they share similar shapes, 蹺 is specifically for the act of crossing limbs, whereas 翹 is used for physical objects like a curled tail or a tilted table leg.
Grammar color guide
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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.
