me1 hei2孭起

Jyutpingme1 hei2

Yalemē héi

動詞

Definition

To shoulder or bear responsibility for a group or family.

colloquialdaily actionspeople

How it's used

Literally referring to carrying something on one's back, this term is frequently used metaphorically to describe taking on a heavy burden or duty. It implies a sense of personal sacrifice or the weight of accountability that others might avoid. When used in the context of responsibility, it often suggests that the person is the sole pillar holding things together.

Examples

keoi5佢jat1一go3個jan4人me1孭hei2起seng4成tau4頭gaa1家，zan1真hai6係hou2好san1辛fu2苦。

He shoulders the entire family by himself, it is really tough.

le1呢daan1單je5嘢gam3咁daai6大wok6鑊，bin1邊go3個me1孭hei2起keoi5佢aa4呀？

This matter is such a huge mess, who is going to take responsibility for it?

Common phrases

me1孭hei2起tau4頭gaa1家

to shoulder the responsibility of supporting a family

me1孭fei1飛

to be the person in charge or the one taking the blame

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with 揹, which is the standard written character for carrying on the back. While 孭 is the preferred character in Cantonese for both the physical action and the metaphorical sense, you will often see 揹 used in written media for the same purpose.