keoi1 cuk1拘束
Jyutpingkeoi1 cuk1
Yalekēui chūk
Definition
Restrained, constrained, or feeling uneasy and not free to act as one pleases.
- restricted or constrained; lacking freedom to do what one wants
- unnatural, awkward, or ill at ease; uncomfortable
colloquialemotiondescriptions
How it's used
Describes a feeling of being socially inhibited or physically restricted by rules or expectations. It often implies a lack of comfort in a formal setting or when interacting with someone you do not know well. Unlike the Mandarin usage which can lean towards legal or physical detention, the Cantonese usage focuses heavily on the psychological feeling of being stifled or unable to act naturally.
Examples
You don't need to be so restrained when eating at home.
Do you feel restrained when you are with him?
Related words
Common phrases
feel restrained
no need to be formal or restrained
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe being physically tied up or arrested, as that is not the primary meaning in Cantonese. It is strictly for describing the feeling of social awkwardness or self-consciousness.
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.
