wu1 mei4 hap1 seoi6烏眉瞌睡乌眉瞌睡
Jyutpingwu1 mei4 hap1 seoi6
Yalewū mèih hāp seuih
Definition
Visibly sleepy; looking extremely drowsy or tired.
colloquialbodydescriptions
How it's used
This expression vividly describes someone whose face clearly betrays their exhaustion, often with drooping eyelids or a dazed expression. It carries a slightly informal and descriptive tone, focusing on the visual appearance of fatigue rather than just the internal feeling of being tired. It is frequently used to tease friends or colleagues who look like they are about to fall asleep mid-task.
Examples
nei5 zou6 me1 gam3 wu1 mei4 hap1 seoi6 aa4
你做咩咁烏眉瞌睡呀？
Why do you look so sleepy?
keoi5 seng4 jat6 dou1 wu1 mei4 hap1 seoi6 hou2 ci5 mou5 fan3 gwo3 gok3 gam3
佢成日都烏眉瞌睡，好似冇瞓過覺咁。
He always looks drowsy, as if he hasn't slept at all.
Related words
Common phrases
seng4 jat6 wu1 mei4 hap1 seoi6
成日烏眉瞌睡
drowsy all day long
tai2 lok6 wu1 mei4 hap1 seoi6
睇落烏眉瞌睡
looking sleepy
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with simply saying you are tired, which is usually expressed as 眼瞓. Use this specifically when you want to emphasize that the person's face looks visibly worn out or sleepy to an observer.
Tone guide
T1High level
T2High rising
T3Mid level
T4Low falling
T5Low rising
T6Low level
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.
