sap6 baat3 jaa6 ji6十八廿二
Jyutpingsap6 baat3 jaa6 ji6
Yalesahp baat yah yih
Definition
To be in the bloom of youth, often used of women to contrast with being no longer young.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
This idiom serves as a gentle or sometimes blunt reminder that one has passed their peak youth. It is almost exclusively applied to women to comment on their age or behavior. The phrase highlights the transition from the carefree days of early adulthood to a more mature stage of life.
Examples
You are not in your prime anymore, stop staying up late all the time.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe men, as it is culturally gendered towards women. It is also considered rude or condescending if used to criticize someone's appearance or choices directly.
Grammar color guide
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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.
