seon6 fung1 ji5順風耳顺风耳
Jyutpingseon6 fung1 ji5
Yaleseuhn fūng yíh
Definition
Exceptional hearing ability, or a person with such sharp ears.
colloquialpeoplebody
How it's used
Originating from Chinese mythology as the name of a deity with the ability to hear everything across the world, this term is now used playfully to describe someone who overhears secrets or has keen hearing. It is often used in a slightly teasing or hyperbolic way when someone catches a whisper that was meant to be private. It is rarely used to describe a medical condition, focusing instead on the social act of eavesdropping or having sharp senses.
Examples
Your ears are so sharp, you're practically a super-listener!
He has super hearing; he can hear what we are saying from several rooms away.
Related words
Common phrases
to develop super hearing
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe someone with a medical hearing impairment, as it refers specifically to the ability to hear things that are distant or quiet, not the general capacity to hear.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
