puk1仆
Jyutpingpuk1
Yalepūk
Definition
To fall forward, landing face down on the ground.
colloquialdaily actionsbody
How it's used
Focuses specifically on falling forward or face down, often implying a clumsy or sudden tumble. It is frequently used with the complement 親 to indicate the act of sustaining an injury or the result of the fall. While it can be used literally, it also appears in various slang expressions to describe things going wrong or failing miserably.
Examples
He wasn't watching where he was walking and fell flat on his face.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe falling backward or sitting down, as those actions are better described by 跌. It carries a slightly more vivid or blunt tone than standard words for falling, so it might sound harsh if used to describe a serious accident.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
