sik1 jan4 mei4 tau4 ngaan5 ngaak6識人眉頭眼額识人眉头眼额

Jyutpingsik1 jan4 mei4 tau4 ngaan5 ngaak6

Yalesīk yàhn mèih tàuh ngáahn ngaahk

Definition

To be good at reading other people's facial expressions, thoughts, and feelings.

colloquialpeopledescriptions

How it's used

This idiom describes someone who possesses high emotional intelligence and social awareness. It implies the ability to read subtle facial expressions or body language to gauge someone's mood before deciding how to act. It is frequently used in professional or hierarchical settings to praise someone for being tactful or to criticize someone for being oblivious.

Examples

keoi5佢hou2好sik1識jan4人mei4眉tau4頭ngaan5眼ngaak6額，gin3見lou5老sai3細haak1黑min6面zau6就zik1即hak1刻zau2走。

He is very good at reading people; he leaves immediately when he sees the boss looking grumpy.

nei5你zou6做je5嘢jiu3要sik1識jan4人mei4眉tau4頭ngaan5眼ngaak6額，m4唔hou2好seng4成jat6日zong6撞baan2板。

You need to be more observant of others' reactions when working, so you don't keep making mistakes.

Common phrases

m4唔sik1識jan4人mei4眉tau4頭ngaan5眼ngaak6額

to be socially oblivious

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for simply being observant of physical objects. It specifically refers to reading the social atmosphere and the internal states of people, rather than just noticing visual details in the environment.