hon3 cyun1看穿
Jyutpinghon3 cyun1
Yalehon chyūn
Definition
To see through; to not be deceived by appearances and to know the truth.
colloquialdaily actionspeople
How it's used
The character 睇 is the standard Cantonese verb for look or see, so 睇穿 is the natural way to express seeing through a deception. It often carries a sense of intellectual superiority or relief when the truth is finally revealed. Using the aspect marker 咗 or the particle 晒 emphasizes that the realization is complete and final.
Related words
Common phrases
to see through at a glance
to see through a lie
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use 看穿 because it looks like the Mandarin term, but in spoken Cantonese, 睇穿 is the only natural choice. Using 看穿 in conversation will sound unnatural or overly formal.
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.
