jau5 gwat1有骨
Jyutpingjau5 gwat1
Yaleyáuh gwāt
Definition
Sarcastic, passive-aggressive, or containing hidden barbs or criticism.
colloquialcommunicationemotion
How it's used
Describes speech that contains hidden barbs or sharp, indirect criticism. It implies that the speaker is intentionally making the listener feel uncomfortable or guilty without stating their grievances openly. It is frequently used to call out someone who is being passive-aggressive during a conversation.
Examples
Everything they say is so sarcastic, it sounds really uncomfortable.
Do you really have to be so passive-aggressive?
Related words
Common phrases
every sentence is filled with barbs
to speak sarcastically
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the literal meaning of having bones, such as in fish or meat. The figurative sense is strictly reserved for describing someone's tone or choice of words.
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.
