hung2 zoek3 hoi1 ping4孔雀開屏孔雀开屏
Jyutpinghung2 zoek3 hoi1 ping4
Yalehúng jeuk hōi pìhng
Definition
Peacock fanning its feathers or flaunting its tail.
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How it's used
This idiom is almost exclusively used metaphorically to describe someone who is excessively showing off or vanity-driven. It carries a slightly mocking tone, implying that the person's display of their achievements or possessions is performative and unnecessary. It is rarely used to describe the actual bird in a natural conversation.
Examples
He is always showing off, acting like he's so impressive.
Related words
Common phrases
A peacock fanning its feathers, unrequitedly over-invested in oneself.
Common mistake
Learners often use this phrase to mean 'to be confident' or 'to show talent', but it specifically carries a negative connotation of being boastful or attention-seeking.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Classifier
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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).
