sing3 laai6姓賴姓赖
Jyutpingsing3 laai6
Yalesing laaih
Definition
To blame others for everything; to shirk responsibility and shift the fault onto others.
colloquialpeopleemotion
How it's used
This expression is a pun on the common Chinese surname 賴. It functions as a verb phrase meaning to shift blame or act like a scapegoat-seeker. It carries a strong negative connotation and is used to criticize someone's lack of accountability.
Examples
He is always blaming others, it is really annoying.
Don't blame others when you make a mistake, you need to take responsibility.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a literal surname. Ensure context clearly indicates a behavior rather than a family name, as using it to describe someone's actual surname would be confusing.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
