hoi1 hau2 jau5 waa6開口有話开口有话
Jyutpinghoi1 hau2 jau5 waa6
Yalehōi háu yáuh wah
Definition
As the proverb says; as the saying goes.
colloquialcommunication
How it's used
This phrase is a common way to introduce a piece of traditional wisdom or a proverb into a conversation. It functions as a conversational marker to signal that the speaker is about to quote a well-known cultural truth. It is almost always followed by a short, punchy idiom that encapsulates a specific life lesson.
Examples
Have you heard the saying?
Related words
Common phrases
As the saying goes, one only takes advantage of those one knows.
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 開口, which means to open one's mouth to speak. Remember that this is a fixed idiomatic phrase and cannot be modified or broken up by adding other words between the characters.
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.
