wong4 dai3 neoi2 m4 jau1 gaa3皇帝女唔憂嫁皇帝女唔忧嫁
Definition
In high demand; highly sought after; literally, the emperor's daughter does not need to worry about marriage.
How it's used
This is a classic Cantonese xiehouyu, or two part allegorical saying, that relies on the homophony between 嫁, meaning to marry, and 價, meaning price. It is used to describe someone or something that is so desirable or high quality that they will never struggle to find a buyer, partner, or opportunity. While the literal meaning refers to a princess, it is now applied broadly to business, job hunting, or any situation involving high market value.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Learners often misunderstand this as being strictly about marriage or gender. It is a metaphorical expression for market demand and can be applied to inanimate objects like real estate or products, not just people.
Grammar color guide
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.
