zi6 jyun3 zi6 ngaai6自怨自艾

Jyutpingzi6 jyun3 zi6 ngaai6

Yalejih yun jih ngaaih

動詞Uncommon

Definition

To bemoan one's fate; to be full of remorse and self-reproach.

neutralemotionpeople

How it's used

This idiom carries a strong sense of unproductive wallowing or self-pity rather than constructive reflection. It is often used to criticize someone for dwelling on past mistakes instead of moving forward. While it is a four-character idiom, it fits naturally into spoken Cantonese sentences when describing someone's negative attitude.

Examples

zou6做jan4人zeoi3最gan2緊jiu3要zik1積gik6極，m4唔hou2好seng4成jat6日zi6自jyun3怨zi6自ngaai6艾。

It is most important to be positive in life, don't always bemoan your fate.

keoi5佢jyu6遇dou3到co3挫zit3折zi1之hau6後，hai6係mai6咪zung6仲zi6自jyun3怨zi6自ngaai6艾gan2緊aa4呀？

Is he still wallowing in self-pity after encountering that setback?

Common phrases

seng4成jat6日zi6自jyun3怨zi6自ngaai6艾

always wallowing in self-pity

m4唔hou2好zi6自jyun3怨zi6自ngaai6艾

don't bemoan your fate

Common mistake

Many learners mistakenly pronounce the final character as 'ngai6' due to its common reading in Mandarin, but in Cantonese, it is traditionally pronounced as 'ai6' when used in this specific idiom.