min6 bik1 si1 gwo3面壁思過面壁思过
Jyutpingmin6 bik1 si1 gwo3
Yalemihn bīk sī gwo
Definition
To face the wall and reflect on one's mistakes.
colloquialdaily actionspeople
How it's used
This idiom carries a strong sense of traditional discipline or self-imposed penance. While it originates from Buddhist meditation practices, it is now frequently used in a slightly sarcastic or stern tone when telling someone to go away and think about their poor behavior.
Examples
You did something wrong, go over there and reflect on your mistakes.
Does he need to face the wall and reflect before he is willing to admit he is wrong?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a literal physical instruction to stand against a wall, but it is almost always used figuratively to mean taking time to reflect on one's own faults.
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.
