jyu5 cau3 mei6 gon1乳臭未乾乳臭未干

Jyutpingjyu5 cau3 mei6 gon1

Yaleyúh chau meih gōn

形容詞

Definition

Wet behind the ears; young, immature, and inexperienced.

colloquialpeopledescriptions

How it's used

This idiom carries a strong sense of condescension or dismissal, often used by older generations to belittle the capabilities of someone younger. It is rarely used to describe oneself, as it functions primarily as a critique of another person's perceived lack of experience or wisdom. The imagery of the smell of breast milk emphasizes that the person is still in a state of infancy or early development.

Examples

keoi5佢jyu5乳cau3臭mei6未gon1乾，dim2點joeng2樣daam1擔dong1當daai6大jam6任aa4呀？

He is still wet behind the ears, how can he take on such a big responsibility?

mai1咪tai2睇keoi5佢jyu5乳cau3臭mei6未gon1乾，kei4其sat6實hou2好jau5有zyu2主gin3見㗎。

Don't think he is immature, he actually has a strong sense of his own mind.

Common phrases

jyu5乳cau3臭mei6未gon1乾ge3嘅sai3細lou6路

an immature kid

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a neutral way to say someone is young, but it is inherently derogatory and can sound quite rude or aggressive in a professional setting.