tung4 jau4 cing4桐油埕
Jyutpingtung4 jau4 cing4
Yaletùhng yàuh chìhng
Definition
Tung oil jar.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Refers to a person who is extremely tight-lipped and keeps secrets or emotions bottled up inside. The imagery comes from the traditional jar used to store tung oil, which is sealed tightly to prevent leakage. It is almost exclusively used in this metaphorical sense rather than to describe the actual household object.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
He is like a tung oil jar, refusing to say anything at all.
Related words
Common phrases
like a tung oil jar
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe someone who is simply quiet or shy. It specifically implies a stubborn refusal to share information or feelings, carrying a slightly frustrated tone from the speaker.
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.
