sap6 baat3 lo4 hon3十八羅漢十八罗汉
Jyutpingsap6 baat3 lo4 hon3
Yalesahp baat lòh hon
Definition
The Eighteen Arhats, the original followers of the Buddha.
colloquialpeople
How it's used
Beyond the religious context, this term is frequently used as a humorous metaphor for a group of people sitting or standing in a row, often appearing motionless, stoic, or solemn. It is common to see it applied to a line of people waiting for something or a group of friends posing stiffly for a photo. The imagery relies on the traditional depiction of these figures in temples as distinct, individual statues arranged in a specific order.
Examples
That whole group of them is sitting there like the Eighteen Arhats.
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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.
