laai3 haa1 mou1 soeng2 sik6 tin1 ngo4 juk6癩蛤蟆想食天鵝肉癞蛤蟆想食天鹅肉
Jyutpinglaai3 haa1 mou1 soeng2 sik6 tin1 ngo4 juk6
Yalelaai hā mōu séung sihk tīn ngòh yuhk
Definition
An unattractive man dreaming of dating a beautiful woman; to desire something far beyond one's reach.
colloquialpeopleemotion
How it's used
This idiom is a harsh, judgmental way to mock someone for having romantic aspirations far above their perceived social or physical standing. It carries a strong sense of ridicule and is almost exclusively used to put men down. Because it is inherently insulting and objectifies women as prizes, it should be avoided in polite or professional company.
Examples
He always wants to chase the goddess, it is really a toad dreaming of swan meat.
Related words
Common phrases
simply a case of a toad wanting to eat swan meat
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a general idiom about ambition, but it is specifically gendered and derogatory. It is not used to describe someone pursuing a difficult career goal or a challenging task, only romantic pursuits.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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).
