maau1 huk1 hou3 zi2 gaa2 ci4 bei1貓哭耗子假慈悲猫哭耗子假慈悲
Jyutpingmaau1 huk1 hou3 zi2 gaa2 ci4 bei1
Yalemāau hūk hou jí gá chìh bēi
Definition
To shed crocodile tears; to pretend to show sympathy for someone while not actually caring.
colloquialanimalsemotion
How it's used
This idiom is a vivid metaphor describing someone who feigns compassion for a victim they themselves have harmed or are exploiting. It carries a strong sense of hypocrisy and is used to expose someone's insincerity during a conflict or a moment of feigned concern. Unlike simple dishonesty, it specifically targets the act of performing kindness to mask malicious intent.
Examples
He doesn't care about you at all; doing this is just crocodile tears.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a literal description of an animal interaction, but it is strictly used to criticize human behavior. It is also quite biting and accusatory, so it should be avoided in polite or professional settings where you want to maintain a neutral tone.
Grammar color guide
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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.
