maai6 ji4 juk6 neoi5賣兒鬻女卖儿鬻女
Jyutpingmaai6 ji4 juk6 neoi5
Yalemaaih yìh yuhk néuih
Definition
To sell one's own children when driven to extreme poverty.
writtenpeopleother
How it's used
This is a formal idiom describing a tragic historical reality rather than a common conversational term. It carries a heavy, somber tone and is typically used in literary contexts, historical discussions, or to describe extreme, desperate poverty. Using it in casual daily conversation would sound overly dramatic or archaic.
Examples
Life was hard in the past, some people would sell their children.
Related words
Common phrases
forced by life's circumstances
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe selling items or general trade, as it specifically refers to the act of selling one's own children due to extreme destitution.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
