sei3 maan6 gam2 hau2四萬咁口四万咁口
Definition
Smiling broadly or grinning from ear to ear, with a wide, cheerful mouth resembling the character on a four-ten-thousand mahjong tile.
How it's used
This idiom draws a visual comparison to the character 四 on the mahjong tile for forty thousand, which features a wide, open design resembling a broad smile. It is used exclusively to describe a person's facial expression when they are beaming with joy or laughter. It carries a slightly playful or exaggerated tone, making it perfect for describing someone who is unusually happy or perhaps gloating about good news.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe a polite or subtle smile, as it specifically refers to a wide, toothy, or ear to ear grin. It is also not used to describe the smile itself as an object, but rather the person who is wearing that expression.
Grammar color guide
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.
