jin4 mei4 zi1 gap1燃眉之急
Jyutpingjin4 mei4 zi1 gap1
Yaleyìhn mèih jī gāp
Definition
A matter of extreme urgency or an imminent crisis.
neutralother
How it's used
Carries a formal tone despite being used in daily speech to describe critical situations. It is almost exclusively used with the verb 解 to mean resolving a crisis. Because it is an idiom, it is often reserved for serious financial or logistical problems rather than minor inconveniences.
Examples
This sum of money just solved my urgent problem.
Is there any way to solve this pressing emergency right now?
Related words
Common phrases
to solve an urgent problem
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe trivial tasks or minor delays, as the imagery of fire on one's eyebrows implies a genuine threat or severe consequence if not addressed immediately.
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.
