hung4 hang6 ceot1 coeng4紅杏出牆红杏出墙
Jyutpinghung4 hang6 ceot1 coeng4
Yalehùhng hahng chēut chèuhng
Definition
To have an affair, referring to a married woman.
colloquialpeopleemotion
How it's used
Carries a literary and slightly euphemistic tone, often used in gossip or dramatic storytelling to soften the blow of the accusation. It is specifically gendered and exclusively refers to a woman cheating on her husband. Using it in a serious or legal context sounds out of place, as it is more of a descriptive idiom than a neutral term for infidelity.
Examples
I heard his wife is having an affair, I really didn't expect that.
How do you know she's having an affair? Do you have any proof?
Related words
Common phrases
suspect of having an affair
Common mistake
Do not use this for men, as it is strictly reserved for women. It is also not a direct verb phrase for the act of cheating itself, but rather a descriptive state of being unfaithful.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
