min6 muk6 cyun4 fei1面目全非
Jyutpingmin6 muk6 cyun4 fei1
Yalemihn muhk chyùhn fēi
Definition
To have changed beyond recognition, typically in a negative or undesirable way.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
This idiom carries a strong sense of regret or shock regarding a negative transformation. It is frequently used to describe urban development, aging, or the aftermath of accidents where the original state is mourned or viewed as lost. Unlike neutral descriptions of change, it implies that the current state is significantly worse or jarringly different from the past.
Examples
After the renovation, the house is completely unrecognisable.
Is the car still in a state of total ruin after the fire?
Related words
Common phrases
to become changed beyond recognition
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
