ngaan5 sik1眼色

Jyutpingngaan5 sik1

Yalengáahn sīk

名詞Common

Definition

A meaningful glance, wink, or hint given with the eyes to convey a message.

colloquialbodycommunication

How it's used

Signaling with the eyes is a subtle way to communicate without words, often used to warn someone or prompt them to act. It is almost exclusively used in the phrase 打眼色, which functions as a verb phrase. The action implies a shared secret or a tacit understanding between the sender and the receiver.

Measure word

go3個go

Examples

keoi5佢seng4成jat6日hoeng3向ngo5我daa2打ngaan5眼sik1色，m4唔zi1知soeng2想gong2講me1咩le1呢。

He keeps giving me meaningful glances, I wonder what he wants to say.

nei5你sai2使mat1乜daa2打ngaan5眼sik1色aa4呀，zik6直zip3接gong2講ceot1出lai4嚟mai1咪dak1得lo3囉。

Why do you need to give me a hint with your eyes? Just say it directly.

Common phrases

daa2打ngaan5眼sik1色

to give a meaningful glance

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with the Mandarin usage where it can imply a more general look or expression. In Cantonese, it specifically refers to a deliberate, non-verbal signal meant to convey a hidden message.