sei2 ngau4 jat1 bin6 geng2死牛一便頸死牛一便颈
Jyutpingsei2 ngau4 jat1 bin6 geng2
Yaleséi ngàuh yāt bihn géng
Definition
Extremely stubborn; describes a person who is as obstinate as a dead bull.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
This idiom vividly paints a picture of a cow that has died with its neck stuck in a rigid, unmoving position. It is used exclusively to describe someone who refuses to change their mind or admit they are wrong, regardless of the evidence or social pressure presented to them. The phrase carries a slightly frustrated or critical tone, often used by the speaker to express exasperation with someone's inflexibility.
Examples
He is so stubborn, it is useless to try and persuade him.
Related words
Common phrases
to be as stubborn as a mule
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with general stubbornness like 固執, as this idiom specifically implies a total refusal to budge even when clearly in the wrong. It is a descriptive phrase for a person's character or a specific instance of behavior, not a formal term.
Grammar color guide
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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.
