ze2 sau2 ze2 goek3姐手姐腳姐手姐脚
Jyutpingze2 sau2 ze2 goek3
Yalejé sáu jé geuk
Definition
Clumsy, slow, or weak, especially when doing heavy physical work.
colloquialdescriptionsdaily actions
How it's used
This idiom carries a strong sense of impatience or annoyance toward someone who is inefficient or physically uncoordinated. While it literally references women, it is frequently used to criticize men for lacking strength or dexterity during manual labor. It implies that the person is getting in the way or failing to complete a task with the expected speed and competence.
Examples
Don't be so clumsy and slow, hurry up and get it done.
He was so feeble and slow while moving house, everything took forever.
Related words
Common phrases
clumsy at work
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe someone who is simply shy or quiet. It specifically refers to physical clumsiness, slowness, or a lack of capability when performing tasks.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
