jiu1 seng1 jiu1 hei3妖聲妖氣妖声妖气
Jyutpingjiu1 seng1 jiu1 hei3
Yaleyīu sēng yīu hei
Definition
Speaking in a coquettish, affected, or unnatural voice and tone to attract attention or show off.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
This expression specifically targets a vocal affectation that sounds insincere or overly dramatic. It is often used to criticize someone who is trying too hard to sound seductive, cute, or mysterious. The focus is on the deliberate manipulation of pitch and tone to draw attention to oneself.
Examples
He always speaks in such an affected, strange tone, it sounds so unnatural.
Why are you suddenly putting on that weird, affected voice?
Related words
Common phrases
to speak in an affected, strange tone
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with simply having a high-pitched voice or a unique accent. It carries a strong negative connotation of being fake or manipulative, so using it to describe someone's natural voice can be highly offensive.
Grammar color guide
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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).
