maa5 fung1 wo1馬蜂窩马蜂窝
Jyutpingmaa5 fung1 wo1
Yalemáh fūng wō
Definition
A hornet's nest.
colloquialanimalsnature
How it's used
Beyond the literal meaning of a nest of hornets, this term is frequently used metaphorically to describe a situation that is highly volatile or prone to causing massive trouble. Provoking such a situation is often referred to as 撩馬蜂窩, which carries the same connotation as stirring up a hornet's nest in English. It implies that once the issue is triggered, the consequences will be numerous, aggressive, and difficult to manage.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
There is a hornet's nest over there, please don't go near it.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 蜂巢, which is the general term for any beehive or honeycomb. Using 馬蜂窩 to refer to a regular honeybee hive is technically inaccurate as it specifically denotes the aggressive hornets.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
