naam4 jan4 lou5 gau2男人老狗
Definition
A grown man, especially one expected to show stereotypically masculine qualities such as strength and toughness.
How it's used
This expression carries a strong sense of social expectation, often used to scold or mock a man for behaving in a way deemed unmanly or overly sensitive. It functions as a rhetorical device to shame someone into adopting more traditional masculine traits like stoicism or resilience. The inclusion of 狗 adds a rough, colloquial edge that emphasizes the speaker's frustration or disappointment.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Do not use this term to describe a man in a neutral or complimentary way, as it almost exclusively appears in critical contexts. It is considered rude and potentially offensive if used toward someone you do not know well or in a professional setting.
Grammar color guide
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
