ngaan5 cek3眼赤
Jyutpingngaan5 cek3
Yalengáahn chek
Definition
To feel envious or jealous of someone or something.
colloquialemotion
How it's used
Focuses on the internal feeling of resentment or bitterness that arises when seeing someone else possess something desirable. While often used interchangeably with 眼紅, it carries a slightly stronger sense of being bothered by another person's success or good fortune. It is strictly a colloquial expression used to describe a negative emotional reaction rather than a physical condition of the eyes.
Examples
He feels very envious inside when he sees others buying new cars.
Why do you need to be jealous of other people getting rich?
Related words
Common phrases
to be jealous of someone else
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the literal medical condition of having bloodshot eyes, which is also sometimes described as 眼紅. Context is key to distinguishing between the metaphorical feeling of jealousy and a physical eye irritation.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
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.
