ji3 tau4意頭意头
Jyutpingji3 tau4
Yaleyi tàuh
Definition
An omen, sign, or portent; something believed to bring good or bad luck.
colloquialotherfestival
How it's used
Focuses heavily on the cultural practice of seeking auspiciousness, especially during festivals or important life events. It is almost always used in the context of wanting a positive outcome, so saying something has a bad 意頭 is a polite way to express disapproval of an object or action without being overly superstitious. People often use it to justify traditions like eating specific foods or avoiding certain numbers.
Examples
Eating fish during Chinese New Year is to bring good luck.
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the word 兆頭, which is more neutral and can refer to any sign or omen, whereas 意頭 is almost exclusively used for auspicious or lucky signs.
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.
