nip6 sau2 nip6 goek3躡手躡腳蹑手蹑脚

Jyutpingnip6 sau2 nip6 goek3

Yalenihp sáu nihp geuk

動詞

Definition

To walk gingerly and quietly, taking light steps to avoid making noise.

colloquialdaily actions

How it's used

This idiom vividly describes the physical act of moving with extreme caution to avoid detection or noise. It is often used in contexts involving sneaking around at night or trying to avoid disturbing someone who is sleeping. The repetition of the characters emphasizes the careful, repetitive nature of the steps taken.

Examples

nei5你sip6躡sau2手sip6躡goek3腳jap6入fong2房，hai6係mai6咪geng1驚cou4嘈seng2醒keoi5佢aa4呀？

You are creeping into the room, are you afraid of waking him up?

keoi5佢seng4成maan5晚dou1都sip6躡sau2手sip6躡goek3腳，m4唔soeng2想bei2畀jan4人faat3發jin6現。

He was walking on tiptoes all night, not wanting to be discovered.

Common phrases

sip6躡sau2手sip6躡goek3腳haang4行jap6入heoi3去

to creep inside

Common mistake

Learners sometimes mistake this for a general term for being careful, but it specifically refers to the quietness and stealth of one's movement. It is not used to describe being careful with objects or handling tasks delicately.