zyu1 naa2 soeng5 syu6豬乸上樹猪乸上树

Jyutpingzyu1 naa2 soeng5 syu6

Yalejyū ná séuhng syuh

Definition

Impossible; highly unlikely to happen, or describing someone who is completely hopeless to teach.

figurativeimpossible; extremely unlikely to happen
figurativedescribing someone who is hopeless, incompetent, or impossible to teach

colloquialanimalsdescriptions

How it's used

This idiom is a vivid way to describe something that defies logic or reality. It functions similarly to the English expression "when pigs fly." Use it when you want to emphasize that a situation is completely hopeless or that a person is stubbornly incapable of learning or changing.

Examples

giu3叫keoi5佢duk6讀syu1書gaan2簡zik6直hai6係zyu1豬naa2乸soeng5上syu6樹。

Asking him to study is like asking a sow to climb a tree.

nei5你nam2諗zyu6住keoi5佢wui2會goi2改？zyu1豬naa2乸soeng5上syu6樹laa1啦！

You think he will change? That is absolutely impossible!

Common phrases

gaan2簡zik6直hai6係zyu1豬naa2乸soeng5上syu6樹

simply impossible

Common mistake

Do not use this to describe a difficult task that is merely challenging, as it specifically implies an outcome that is physically or logically impossible.