teoi1 jan4推人
Jyutpingteoi1 jan4
Yaletēui yàhn
Definition
To push someone.
colloquialdaily actionspeople
How it's used
Focuses on the physical act of shoving or nudging someone with your hands. It is often used in situations involving crowds or physical altercations where personal space is invaded. Unlike the Mandarin equivalent which can sometimes be used metaphorically for promoting a person, this Cantonese phrase is almost exclusively used for the literal physical action.
Examples
Why are you pushing people?
Do not push people inside the MTR.
Related words
Common phrases
to push someone into the water
to give someone a push
Common mistake
Avoid using this to mean recommending or promoting someone for a job or task, as that would be better expressed using 推薦 or 推介.
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.
