min6 sik1面色
Jyutpingmin6 sik1
Yalemihn sīk
Definition
Complexion; the color of one's face.
colloquialbodyhealth
How it's used
Beyond referring to physical skin tone, this term is frequently used to describe someone's mood or attitude as reflected in their facial expression. It is common to say someone has a bad face, meaning they look annoyed or angry, which serves as a non-verbal signal of their current state of mind.
Examples
Your complexion looks terrible today, are you sick?
Seeing the client's displeased expression, he immediately dared not speak.
Related words
Common phrases
pale complexion
to have a bad complexion or look displeased
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 面口, which is more about the general appearance or features of a face rather than the health-related or emotional complexion.
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.
