zaa1 geng2揸頸揸颈
Definition
To control oneself and suppress one's indignation, typically used in the idiom "揸頸就命" to mean swallowing insult and humiliation silently.
How it's used
This expression is almost exclusively used in the idiom 揸頸就命 to describe a situation where someone is forced to endure unfair treatment or humiliation without fighting back. It carries a strong sense of helplessness, as if one is being physically throttled and cannot speak or act. It is rarely used in a literal sense to describe the physical act of grabbing someone by the neck.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with physical violence, as the phrase is metaphorical and focuses on the psychological state of being forced into submission. Using it to describe a literal physical fight would sound very strange to native speakers.
Grammar color guide
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.
