waang4 dou1 dyut6 oi3橫刀奪愛横刀夺爱
Jyutpingwaang4 dou1 dyut6 oi3
Yalewàahng dōu dyuht oi
Definition
To steal someone else's partner or lover; to snatch away someone's beloved.
colloquialpeopleemotion
How it's used
This idiom carries a strong sense of betrayal and aggressive intent, often implying that the person doing the snatching is a friend or someone close to the victim. It is almost exclusively used in the context of romantic relationships rather than material possessions. The imagery of the knife emphasizes the sudden and forceful nature of the interference.
Examples
I cannot believe they snatched my boyfriend away from me.
Do you know that stealing someone else's partner is a very immoral act?
Related words
Common phrases
the act of stealing someone's partner
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a general term for stealing, but it is strictly reserved for romantic partners. Using it to describe stealing a physical object like a pen or a bag will sound bizarre to native speakers.
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.
