hon6 lau4 zip3 bui3汗流浹背汗流浃背
Jyutpinghon6 lau4 zip3 bui3
Yalehohn làuh jip bui
Definition
To sweat profusely or be soaked with sweat, often due to hard work or extreme fear.
colloquialbodydescriptions
How it's used
This idiom is a formal four-character expression that is commonly used in both written and spoken Cantonese to vividly describe heavy perspiration. While it literally refers to sweat running down the back, it is frequently applied metaphorically to situations involving intense physical labor or extreme anxiety. It carries a slightly more descriptive and dramatic weight than simply saying 出汗.
Examples
He was soaked in sweat after moving those heavy things.
Seeing the boss walking over, he was so nervous he broke into a cold sweat.
Related words
Common phrases
to be so nervous that one is sweating profusely
to work so hard that one is drenched in sweat
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.
