maai6 ciu3賣俏卖俏
Jyutpingmaai6 ciu3
Yalemaaih chiu
Definition
To flirt, play the coquette, or act coquettish.
colloquialpeopleemotion
How it's used
Carries a negative connotation of being insincere or overly performative in one's charm. It is often used to criticize someone for using flirtatious behavior to gain attention or manipulate a situation rather than expressing genuine interest. The term is gendered in practice and is almost exclusively applied to women.
Examples
She is always flirting around, it is really annoying.
Stop acting coquettish, hurry up and get to work.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with general flirting or being friendly. Using this word implies a judgment that the person is being manipulative or cheapening themselves for attention.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
