ming4 faa1 jau5 zyu2名花有主
Jyutpingming4 faa1 jau5 zyu2
Yalemìhng fā yáuh jyú
Definition
To already have a boyfriend or a husband, describing a woman.
colloquialpeopleemotion
How it's used
This idiom is used exclusively to describe a woman who is already in a committed relationship or married. It carries a slightly playful or dramatic tone, often used when someone is being teased about their romantic prospects or when a third party is being warned off. While it originated from a historical context involving courtesans, it is now a standard, lighthearted way to say someone is unavailable.
Examples
She already has a boyfriend, stop chasing her.
So she's already taken, no wonder she always rejects me.
Common phrases
already taken
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe a man who has a girlfriend or wife, as it is strictly reserved for women. For men, one would instead say 佢有女朋友 or 佢結咗婚.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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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.
