lat1 sou1甩鬚甩须

Jyutpinglat1 sou1

Yalelāt sōu

Definition

To lose face or suffer embarrassment.

colloquialpeopleemotion

How it's used

Originating from the imagery of a beard falling off, this expression carries a sense of public embarrassment or loss of reputation. It is frequently used in professional or social contexts where someone's failure reflects poorly on their status or the group they represent. The intensity can be adjusted by adding particles like 晒 to emphasize the total loss of face.

Examples

keoi5佢gam1今ci3次gaau2搞dou3到gam3咁daai6大wok6鑊，zan1真hai6係lat1甩saai3晒sou1鬚laa3喇。

He messed up so badly this time, he really lost all his face.

nei5你gam3咁joeng6樣zou6做wui2會m4唔wui2會ling6令dou3到gung1公si1司lat1甩sou1鬚㗎？

Will doing it this way cause the company to lose face?

Common phrases

lat1甩saai3晒sou1鬚

to lose all face

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with literal hair loss, as it is strictly a figurative idiom for social standing. It is not used to describe personal shame or internal guilt, but rather the external perception of one's reputation by others.