zi6 him1自謙自谦

Jyutpingzi6 him1

Yalejih hīm

動詞

Definition

To be modest, humble, or self-deprecating about oneself.

neutralpeopledescriptions

How it's used

Describes the act of downplaying one's own achievements or skills to appear humble in front of others. It is often used to describe a specific moment of social interaction rather than a permanent personality trait. People frequently use this when they receive a compliment they feel they need to deflect to maintain social harmony.

Examples

keoi5佢zi6自him1謙waa6話zi6自gei2己m4唔lek1叻，kei4其sat6實keoi5佢hou2好ging6勁㗎。

He was modest and said he was not good, but he is actually very talented.

nei5你sai2使mat1乜zi6自him1謙aa4呀，nei5你waa2畫go2嗰fuk1幅waa2畫zan1真hai6係hou2好leng3靚。

Why do you need to be so modest? The painting you drew is really beautiful.

Common phrases

zi6自him1謙jat1一faan1番

to be modest for a bit

gwo3過fan6分zi6自him1謙

to be overly modest

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with 謙虛, which is an adjective describing the trait of modesty itself. Use 自謙 as a verb to describe the action of expressing that modesty, whereas 謙虛 describes the quality of the person.