m4 cau3 mai5 hei3唔嗅米氣唔嗅米气
Jyutpingm4 cau3 mai5 hei3
Yalem̀h chau máih hei
Definition
Slightly foolish, naive, or lacking common sense and social awareness.
colloquialpeoplefood
How it's used
Literally referring to someone who does not smell the scent of rice, this idiom describes a person who lacks common sense or social awareness. It is often used to criticize someone who fails to read the room or acts in a way that shows they are disconnected from basic human expectations. The phrase implies that the person is not living a normal, grounded life like everyone else who eats rice.
Examples
He is always so socially clueless, it is really frustrating.
Related words
Common phrases
really socially clueless
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe someone who is literally not eating or is on a diet. It is strictly a metaphorical insult regarding someone's lack of social intelligence or maturity.
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).
