ji4 siu3貽笑贻笑

Jyutpingji4 siu3

Yaleyìh siu

動詞

Definition

To make a laughingstock of oneself; to do something that invites ridicule or laughter.

writtenother

How it's used

This is a formal, literary idiom that carries a strong sense of embarrassment or loss of face. It is almost exclusively used in the four-character phrase 貽笑大方, which implies that one's ignorance or incompetence has been exposed to experts or the public. Using it in casual conversation often sounds overly dramatic or sarcastic.

Examples

keoi5佢gam3咁joeng2樣zou6做zan1真hai6係ji4貽siu3笑daai6大fong1方aa4呀。

Doing it that way really makes a laughingstock of oneself.

nei5你m4唔hou2好lyun6亂gong2講je5嘢，fai3費si6事ji4貽siu3笑daai6大fong1方laa1啦。

Don't talk nonsense, lest you make a fool of yourself.

Common phrases

ji4貽siu3笑daai6大fong1方

to be laughed at by experts

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a simple verb meaning to laugh at someone, but it is actually a passive construction describing the state of being a laughingstock. It is not used to describe the act of laughing at others.