ngaau4淆
Jyutpingngaau4
Yalengàauh
Definition
To feel afraid or lose courage to do something.
colloquialemotion
How it's used
Originating from the idea of being confused or overwhelmed, this term now specifically describes a state of cowardice or nervousness before an action. It is frequently used in the phrase 淆底 to describe someone losing their nerve or retreating from a challenge. The tone is informal and often implies that the fear is slightly irrational or unnecessary given the situation.
Examples
Seeing how fierce he was, I immediately got scared and backed down.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 淆底, which acts as a phrasal verb meaning to chicken out. Using 淆 alone is common, but adding 底 makes the description of the person's loss of courage much more idiomatic.
Grammar color guide
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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).
