waak6 gung1 zai2 waak6 ceot1 coeng4畫公仔畫出腸画公仔画出肠
Jyutpingwaak6 gung1 zai2 waak6 ceot1 coeng4
Yalewaahk gūng jái waahk chēut chèuhng
Definition
To spell things out; to explain something so explicitly that there is no room for nuance.
colloquialcommunicationdescriptions
How it's used
This idiom carries a slightly critical tone, implying that the person being addressed is being overly explicit or lacking in social subtlety. It is used when someone explains a situation or a hint so thoroughly that it becomes annoying or ruins the nuance of the original message. It is a very common way to tell someone to stop over-explaining or to stop being so blunt.
Examples
nei5你m4唔hou2好haa5下haa5下dou1都waak6畫gung1公zai2仔waak6畫ceot1出coeng2腸laa1啦，lau4留faan1返di1啲hung1空gaan1間bei2俾jan4人nam2諗haa5下。
Stop spelling everything out for me, leave some room for people to think.
keoi5佢gong2講je5嘢gam3咁jan2隱fui3晦，sai2使m4唔sai2使waak6畫gung1公zai2仔waak6畫ceot1出coeng2腸man6問cing1清co2楚keoi5佢aa4呀？
He is being so vague, do I need to spell it out and ask him clearly?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a literal instruction about drawing. It is strictly a metaphorical expression used in conversation to describe communication styles, not an actual artistic term.
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.
