mou4 fuk1 siu1 sau6無福消受无福消受
Definition
To not have the luck or fortune to enjoy or accept a benefit; often used to express rejection or irony.
How it's used
Carries a sense of humility or self-deprecation when declining an offer that feels too grand or undeserved. It functions as a polite way to refuse something without sounding ungrateful, as it frames the inability to accept as a personal lack of fortune rather than a rejection of the giver's intent. Occasionally, it can be used sarcastically to imply that a situation is actually more of a burden than a benefit.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Avoid using this in professional or strictly formal settings where a simple refusal is expected, as the phrase implies a level of personal intimacy or emotional weight that might sound overly dramatic or awkward in a business context.
Grammar color guide
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
