sau1 gaa1羞家
Jyutpingsau1 gaa1
Yalesāu gā
Definition
Shameful, disgraceful, or embarrassing; bringing shame upon oneself or one's family.
colloquialemotionpeople
How it's used
Focuses on the loss of face or the embarrassment brought upon a group, such as a family or a team. It carries a heavier weight than simply feeling shy, as it implies a moral or social failure that causes others to lose respect for you. It is frequently used by parents or authority figures to scold someone for behavior that brings disgrace to their community.
Examples
Doing things like this is truly shameful.
He felt very ashamed after losing the competition.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 尷尬, which refers to feeling awkward or self-conscious in a social situation. 羞家 implies a deeper sense of disgrace or dishonor that affects one's reputation or family name.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
