taai3 seoi3 tau4 soeng6 dung6 tou2太歲頭上動土太岁头上动土
Jyutpingtaai3 seoi3 tau4 soeng6 dung6 tou2
Yaletaai seui tàuh seuhng duhng tóu
Definition
To provoke a powerful or fearsome person and invite trouble.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
This idiom is used to describe an act of extreme recklessness where someone challenges or offends an authority figure or a dangerous person. It carries a strong sense of impending doom or inevitable negative consequences for the person acting. It is often used as a warning to stop someone from making a foolish mistake.
Examples
nei5你zi1知m4唔zi1知keoi5佢hai6係bin1邊go3個？nei5你gam3咁zou6做gaan2簡zik6直hai6係taai3太seoi3歲tau4頭soeng6上dung6動tou2土aa4呀。
Do you know who he is? Doing that is literally asking for trouble by provoking someone dangerous.
keoi5佢ping4平si4時gam3咁wu3惡，nei5你zung6仲heoi3去liu4撩keoi5佢，zan1真hai6係taai3太seoi3歲tau4頭soeng6上dung6動tou2土。
He is usually so fierce, yet you still go and provoke him; you are really looking for trouble.
Related words
Common phrases
simply asking for trouble by provoking a dangerous person
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a literal description of construction or gardening. It is strictly a metaphorical expression for social or professional provocation and should never be used to describe actual physical work.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
