mit6蔑
Jyutpingmit6
Yalemiht
Definition
To despise, belittle, or look down on.
writtenemotionpeople
How it's used
This character is rarely used on its own in modern spoken Cantonese and almost always appears as part of a formal compound word. It carries a strong, literary weight that implies a sense of arrogance or looking down from a position of superiority. In casual conversation, people overwhelmingly prefer using 睇唔起 or 睇小 instead.
Examples
Don't look down on other people's hard work.
He always belittles the friends around him, it's so annoying.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a common verb, but it is a formal morpheme that sounds unnatural if used in everyday speech outside of specific compound terms like 誣蔑 or 蔑視.
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.
