zaau2 ji5 naau4 soi1抓耳撓腮抓耳挠腮

Jyutpingzaau2 ji5 naau4 soi1

Yalejáau yíh nàauh sōi

Definition

To scratch one's ears and cheeks as a sign of anxiety, frustration, excitement, or helplessness.

colloquialemotiondescriptions

How it's used

This idiom vividly describes the physical manifestation of being flustered or impatient. While it can imply joy or excitement, it is far more frequently used to describe someone struggling to solve a problem or feeling deeply anxious about a situation. It paints a picture of someone who is so restless that they cannot keep their hands still.

Examples

keoi5佢gin3見dou2到fan2份gyun2卷gam3咁naan4難，zik1即hak1刻zaau2抓ji5耳naau4撓soi1腮。

Seeing how difficult the exam paper was, he immediately started scratching his head in anxiety.

nei5你zou6做me1咩zaau2抓ji5耳naau4撓soi1腮aa4呀？hai6係mai6咪jau5有je5嘢soeng2想gong2講？

Why are you scratching your head like that? Is there something you want to say?

Common phrases

gap1急dou3到zaau2抓ji5耳naau4撓soi1腮

so anxious that one is scratching their head

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a literal description of having an itchy scalp. It is a set idiom used specifically to describe emotional states, not a medical condition or a literal itch.