ngaau5 hau2 seon4咬口唇
Jyutpingngaau5 hau2 seon4
Yalengáauh háu sèuhn
Definition
To bite one's lips.
colloquialbodyemotion
How it's used
Biting the lips is often a subconscious physical reaction to anxiety, hesitation, or deep concentration. It is distinct from biting the tongue, which is usually accidental or a sign of physical pain. The phrase is frequently used to describe someone who is struggling to make a decision or holding back something they want to say.
Examples
She is so nervous that she is biting her lips.
Why are you biting your lips?
Related words
Common phrases
biting lips due to nervousness
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with biting the tongue, which is 咬脷. Using 咬口唇 to describe a physical injury from eating is incorrect, as it specifically refers to the habitual or emotional gesture.
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).
