mei6 buk1 sin1 zi1未卜先知
Jyutpingmei6 buk1 sin1 zi1
Yalemeih būk sīn jī
Definition
To have foresight; to be able to foresee or predict the future.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Often used in a slightly sarcastic or teasing tone when someone makes a lucky guess or happens to be prepared for an unexpected event. While it literally means to know before divination, it is rarely used in a mystical sense in modern daily life. It functions more as an idiomatic way to compliment or question someone's intuition or preparation.
Examples
You aren't a psychic, how could you have guessed he would come?
He seems to have foresight, having bought everything well in advance.
Related words
Common phrases
as if having foresight
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe professional forecasting or scientific prediction, as it implies a sense of supernatural or uncanny insight rather than logical deduction.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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Connector
Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
