piu1 piu1 jin4飄飄然飘飘然
Jyutpingpiu1 piu1 jin4
Yalepīu pīu yìhn
Definition
Elated, smug, or walking on air after receiving praise or success.
colloquialemotiondescriptions
How it's used
Describes the specific feeling of being lightheaded or floating on air due to excessive pride or vanity. It is frequently used to warn someone against becoming arrogant after a minor success or praise. The imagery suggests a loss of touch with reality, as if one is no longer grounded on the ground.
Examples
He got all smug after just a couple of compliments.
Don't get complacent so quickly, there is still a lot to learn.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with feeling physically lightheaded or dizzy, which is usually expressed as 頭暈 or 暈陀陀. This term is strictly reserved for the psychological state of inflated ego.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
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Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
