jyu6 jan4 bat1 suk6遇人不淑
Definition
To encounter bad people, especially to be deceived or taken advantage of by them.
How it's used
This idiom is almost exclusively used in the context of romantic relationships or business partnerships where someone has been betrayed or taken advantage of by a person they trusted. It carries a heavy sense of regret and personal misfortune, implying that the speaker or the person being discussed was naive or lacked judgment in their choice of company. It is a formal, literary idiom that is often used in speech to add a touch of gravity or dramatic flair to a story of betrayal.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a general way to say someone is a bad person, but it specifically describes the experience of the victim who has been deceived. It is not used to describe the bad person themselves, but rather the situation of the person who encountered them.
Grammar color guide
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
