ji6 fan5 tin4 jing1義憤填膺义愤填膺
Jyutpingji6 fan5 tin4 jing1
Yaleyih fáhn tìhn yīng
Definition
Filled with righteous indignation; chest bursting with rage over injustice.
writtenemotionpeople
How it's used
This idiom describes a specific type of anger triggered by witnessing injustice or unfair treatment. It carries a sense of moral superiority and public concern rather than just personal annoyance. While it is a four-character idiom, it is frequently used in spoken Cantonese to describe someone who is visibly worked up over a social issue.
Examples
He was immediately filled with righteous indignation upon seeing this news.
Related words
Common phrases
to speak with righteous indignation
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for general anger. It is specifically reserved for situations involving moral outrage or a sense of justice, so it sounds unnatural if used to describe simple frustration like missing a bus or losing a game.
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).
