jat1 tou5 hei3一肚氣一肚气
Jyutpingjat1 tou5 hei3
Yaleyāt tóuh hei
Definition
Angry and dissatisfied; full of resentment.
colloquialemotion
How it's used
This expression vividly captures the physical sensation of suppressed frustration, as if your stomach is bloated with negative energy. It is typically used when you have been forced to endure an unpleasant situation or someone else's unreasonable behavior without being able to vent immediately. You will often hear it paired with the verb 激, as in 激到一肚氣, to emphasize the cause of the irritation.
Examples
Work today really made me so frustrated and angry.
Related words
Common phrases
provoked to the point of extreme frustration
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with physical indigestion or actual stomach pain. While it uses the word 肚, it is strictly an idiomatic way to describe emotional state and cannot be used to talk about medical issues.
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.
