sam1 han2 sau2 laat6心狠手辣
Jyutpingsam1 han2 sau2 laat6
Yalesām hán sáu laaht
Definition
Cold-blooded, cruel, and ruthless in one's actions.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
This idiom describes someone who is both cruel in their thinking and vicious in their actions. It is often used to describe villains in movies or people who betray others for personal gain without showing any remorse. Unlike milder terms for being mean, this carries a heavy weight of moral condemnation.
Examples
He is truly ruthless; he is capable of doing anything.
Why are you so cold-blooded towards your own family?
Related words
Common phrases
ruthless methods
a ruthless personality
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe someone who is just strict or demanding at work. It implies a level of malice and lack of conscience that goes far beyond being tough or professional.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
