lei5 zik6 hei3 zong3理直氣壯理直气壮
Jyutpinglei5 zik6 hei3 zong3
Yaleléih jihk hei jong
Definition
Bold and confident, assured that justice or truth is on one's side.
colloquialemotiondescriptions
How it's used
Often used to describe someone who is being unreasonable or stubborn while acting as if they are in the right. It carries a slightly critical tone when applied to someone who refuses to admit a mistake. It is a formal idiom that is frequently used in everyday speech to comment on someone's attitude.
Examples
He is bold and assured even after doing something wrong, it is truly outrageous.
Related words
Common phrases
speak with bold confidence
an attitude of righteous confidence
Common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse this with simply being confident or loud, but it specifically implies the person believes they have moral justification or a logical argument on their side.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Classifier
Particle
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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.
