seoi1 bei2 jan4 tai2衰俾人睇
Jyutpingseoi1 bei2 jan4 tai2
Yalesēui béi yàhn tái
Definition
To lose face, be humiliated, or make a fool of oneself in front of others.
colloquialemotionpeople
How it's used
Carries a strong sense of losing face or failing to meet expectations in a public or social setting. It is often used as a warning or encouragement to someone to maintain their dignity or competence. The phrase implies that the failure is visible to others, which is the primary source of the shame.
Examples
Don't embarrass yourself in front of others, keep it up!
His performance was so poor this time, it was truly humiliating.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with simply failing at a task. It specifically emphasizes the social aspect of being seen as a failure by others, rather than the internal feeling of disappointment.
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.
