sik6 zo2 syun3 tau4食咗蒜頭食咗蒜头
Jyutpingsik6 zo2 syun3 tau4
Yalesihk jó syun tàuh
Definition
To boast or talk big.
colloquialfoodpeople
How it's used
This expression relies on the pun between the strong, pungent smell of garlic and the metaphorical 'stink' of someone's arrogant or boastful speech. It is almost exclusively used to criticize someone who is talking big or making exaggerated claims. The phrase is informal and carries a judgmental tone, implying that the person's words are unpleasant to others.
Examples
He is always bragging, as if he has eaten garlic.
Did you eat garlic? Why are you talking so boastfully?
Related words
Common phrases
to speak in a boastful or arrogant manner
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the literal act of eating garlic, which is a common ingredient in Cantonese cooking. The context of someone bragging or being overly confident is essential for the metaphorical meaning to be understood.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
