to4 niu5駝鳥驼鸟
Jyutpingto4 niu5
Yaletòh níuh
Definition
An ostrich.
neutralanimals
How it's used
Refers specifically to the flightless bird, but also frequently appears in the idiom 駝鳥心態 to describe someone who ignores problems instead of facing them. The imagery of burying one's head in the sand is just as common in Cantonese as it is in English for describing willful ignorance.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
There is an ostrich inside the zoo.
Are you trying to act like an ostrich and bury your head in the sand?
Related words
Common phrases
ostrich mentality
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.
