sau1 fo2收火
Jyutpingsau1 fo2
Yalesāu fó
Definition
To calm down, cool off, or suppress one's anger.
colloquialemotiondaily actions
How it's used
Originating from the context of cooking or industrial kilns where lowering the heat prevents burning, this expression is used metaphorically to describe someone dialing back their aggression or anger. It implies a conscious effort to suppress an outburst rather than just naturally feeling better. It is almost exclusively used in informal settings when discussing interpersonal conflict.
Examples
After throwing a tantrum, he finally agreed to calm down.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe the literal act of turning off a stove, which would be 熄火. Using 收火 in a literal cooking context will sound very strange to native speakers.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Particle
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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.
