sau2 bui3手背
Jyutpingsau2 bui3
Yalesáu bui
Definition
The back of the hand.
colloquialbody
How it's used
The phrase 手板係肉，手背又係肉 is a classic idiom used when someone feels torn between two people they care about, like a parent caught between their child and their spouse. It emphasizes that both sides are equally important and precious, making it painful to choose or favor one over the other. Outside of this idiom, the term is used literally to distinguish the hairy or smooth side of the hand from the palm.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
The back of their hand got bitten red by a mosquito.
Why is there a scratch on the back of your hand?
Related words
Common phrases
the back of the hand is flesh (part of a larger idiom)
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 手板 or 掌心, which refer to the palm. While English speakers might just say hand, Cantonese speakers are very specific about which side of the hand they are referring to when describing injuries or skin conditions.
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.
