nau2 muk6 fan3 tou2朽木糞土朽木粪土
Jyutpingnau2 muk6 fan3 tou2
Yalenáu muhk fan tóu
Definition
Rotten wood and manure; used to describe a useless, worthless person who contributes nothing to society.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Originating from the Analects of Confucius, this idiom carries a heavy, judgmental tone that implies someone is beyond saving or completely lacking in potential. It is rarely used in casual conversation unless the speaker intends to be particularly harsh or insulting. Using it effectively requires a sense of gravitas, as it frames the person as fundamentally useless to society.
Examples
He never studies, he is really a hopeless case.
Do you think he is a lost cause, or just hasn't found his potential yet?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a simple way to say someone is lazy, but it is actually a severe character assassination that suggests a total lack of moral or intellectual worth. Avoid using it in professional or polite settings, as it is highly offensive.
Grammar color guide
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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.
