jan4 sam1 gaak3 tou5 pei4人心隔肚皮
Jyutpingjan4 sam1 gaak3 tou5 pei4
Yaleyàhn sām gaak tóuh pèih
Definition
One cannot judge whether a person is genuinely good by their appearance alone.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
This idiom serves as a cautionary reminder that outward appearances or polite behavior often mask true, potentially malicious intentions. It is frequently invoked when someone has been betrayed or when advising others to exercise caution in new relationships. The phrase emphasizes the inherent opacity of human nature, suggesting that one's inner thoughts remain hidden behind the physical exterior.
Examples
You can't really know someone's true intentions, so please don't trust him so quickly.
He treats everyone so well usually, but who knows what he is really like deep down?
Related words
Common phrases
People's hearts are hard to read and unpredictable.
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a simple description of someone being fake, but it is specifically used to warn against the impossibility of knowing someone's true character, rather than just pointing out hypocrisy.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
