maai6 hyut3賣血卖血
Jyutpingmaai6 hyut3
Yalemaaih hyut
Definition
To sell one's own blood for money out of extreme poverty.
colloquialmoneyhealth
How it's used
Refers to a desperate financial state where someone sacrifices their health for immediate cash. While it can be used literally, it is frequently employed as a hyperbolic expression to describe extreme poverty or the act of spending an unreasonable amount of money on a luxury item. It carries a heavy, dramatic tone that signals the speaker is in a dire situation.
Examples
He is so poor that he has to sell his blood to pay the rent.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the literal medical act of donating blood, which is usually referred to as 捐血. Using 賣血 to describe a standard blood donation will sound alarming and suggest the person is in severe financial distress.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
