ji1 ngaa4 sung1 gong3依牙鬆弶依牙松弶
Jyutpingji1 ngaa4 sung1 gong3
Yaleyī ngàh sūng gong
Definition
To bare one's teeth or make a grimace, often displaying anger, dissatisfaction, or pain.
colloquialbodypeople
How it's used
This expression describes someone who is constantly grumbling, complaining, or making a show of defiance, often without actually taking any constructive action. It paints a vivid picture of someone baring their teeth like an animal, suggesting a mix of irritation and impotence. It is frequently used to describe someone who is being unnecessarily argumentative or difficult.
Examples
He is always gnashing his teeth and complaining, it's so annoying.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with literal teeth grinding caused by stress or sleep, which is usually described as 磨牙. This term is strictly for behavioral complaining or verbal posturing.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
