hoi1 ngaan5 gaai3開眼界开眼界
Jyutpinghoi1 ngaan5 gaai3
Yalehōi ngáahn gaai
Definition
To broaden one's horizons or expand one's knowledge and experience of the world.
colloquialdaily actionspeople
How it's used
Often used with the aspect marker 下 to soften the tone, making the suggestion sound more casual and inviting. It frequently implies being exposed to something novel, impressive, or even slightly unconventional that one has not encountered before.
Examples
Traveling really helps to broaden one's horizons.
Where are you taking me to see something new?
Related words
Common phrases
to take someone to broaden their horizons
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the literal act of opening one's eyes, which would be 擘大眼. It is strictly a metaphorical expression for gaining new experience or knowledge.
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).
