hyut3 lau4 sing4 ho4血流成河
Jyutpinghyut3 lau4 sing4 ho4
Yalehyut làuh sìhng hòh
Definition
To have massive casualties or heavy bloodshed from a slaughter; literally, blood flowing like a river.
writtenother
How it's used
This idiom is reserved for describing extreme, large scale violence or catastrophic loss of life. It carries a heavy, dramatic tone that is rarely used in casual conversation unless one is being hyperbolic about a disaster or a very intense conflict. It is more common in written narratives or news reports than in daily spoken Cantonese.
Examples
That war resulted in a bloodbath, it was so tragic.
If you don't stop now, it will really end in a massacre.
Related words
Common phrases
the battlefield is soaked in blood
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe minor injuries or small accidents, as it is strictly associated with mass casualties or severe warfare. Using it for a small cut or a minor fight sounds absurdly melodramatic.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
