sat1 wai1失威
Jyutpingsat1 wai1
Yalesāt wāi
Definition
To lose face, prestige, or dignity in front of others.
colloquialemotionpeople
How it's used
Focuses on the public loss of dignity or prestige rather than just personal shame. It often implies a sense of social failure or being shown up by someone else. It is frequently used in competitive or social settings where one's reputation is at stake.
Examples
Falling down in front of so many people is really embarrassing.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 冇面, which is more about the general concept of losing face. 失威 specifically highlights the loss of status or the feeling of being humiliated due to a specific action or performance.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
