zan3 zan3 jau5 ci4振振有詞振振有词
Jyutpingzan3 zan3 jau5 ci4
Yalejan jan yáuh chìh
Definition
To speak with complete confidence, being deeply convinced that one is in the right.
colloquialpeoplecommunication
How it's used
This idiom carries a strong negative connotation, implying that the speaker is being unreasonable or stubborn despite being wrong. It is rarely used to describe someone who is actually correct or justified in their argument. You will often hear it used when someone is caught in a lie or a mistake but refuses to back down.
Examples
He was in the wrong but still spoke with such confidence, it's so infuriating.
How can you tell lies with such complete confidence?
Related words
Common phrases
to speak with complete confidence
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a positive term meaning to be articulate or persuasive. It is almost exclusively used to criticize someone for being arrogant or defensive when they are clearly in the wrong.
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.
