laan4 jau5 bou2讕有寶谰有宝
Jyutpinglaan4 jau5 bou2
Yalelàahn yáuh bóu
Definition
To act as if one possesses something extremely precious, or to think too highly of oneself.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
This expression is used to mock someone who treats a mediocre or common item as if it were a rare treasure. It carries a strong sense of sarcasm and implies that the person is being pretentious or naive. It is almost exclusively used to describe someone else's behavior rather than one's own.
Examples
He is always showing off his new phone as if it were a treasure.
Stop acting like you have something precious; everyone knows it is a fake.
Related words
Common phrases
acting as if it were a treasure
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with simply having something valuable, as the phrase specifically targets the attitude of the person displaying the item. It is not used to describe the item itself, but rather the act of showing it off.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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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).
