阿媽都唔認得

Chinese

		mother; mom; mum	even	not	to recognize; to know
trad. (阿媽都唔認得)		阿媽	都	唔	認得
simp. (阿妈都唔认得)		阿妈	都	唔	认得
Literally: “even one's mother could not recognize [them]”.

Pronunciation

• Cantonese (Jyutping): aa³ maa¹ dou¹ m⁴ jing⁶ dak¹

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• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: aa³ maa¹ dou¹ m⁴ jing⁶ dak¹
    • Yale: a mā dōu m̀h yihng dāk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: aa³ maa¹ dou¹ m⁴ jing⁶ dak⁷
    • Guangdong Romanization: a³ ma¹ dou¹ m⁴ ying⁶ deg¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /aː³³ maː⁵⁵ tou̯⁵⁵ m̩²¹ jɪŋ²² tɐk̚⁵/

Phrase

阿媽都唔認得

1. (Cantonese, figuratively, humorous, with 到) awfully; extremely; terribly

   • 我買了裝修之後，升了一陣，接着亞洲金融風暴來到，跌到阿媽都唔認得。 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
     我买了装修之后，升了一阵，接着亚洲金融风暴来到，跌到阿妈都唔认得。 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

     From: 2014, 陸振球, 聰明人看樓市, pages 24–25

     ngo⁵ maai⁵ liu⁵ zong¹ sau¹ zi¹ hau⁶, sing¹ liu⁵ jat¹ zan⁶, zip³ zoek⁶ aa³ zau¹ gam¹ jung⁴ fung¹ bou⁶ loi⁴ dou³, dit³ dou³ aa³ maa¹ dou¹ m⁴ jing⁶ dak¹. [Jyutping]

     After I bought [the flat] and decorated it, [its price] rose for some time. Then the Asian financial crisis came, and [the price] plummeted awfully.

   • 我返到屋企同阿媽講已經趕咗出校，激到阿媽即刻打咗我一餐，真係打到阿媽都唔認得。 [Cantonese, trad.]
     我返到屋企同阿妈讲已经赶咗出校，激到阿妈即刻打咗我一餐，真系打到阿妈都唔认得。 [Cantonese, simp.]

     From: 2016, Gill Mohindepaul Singh, 香港製造 [Made in Hong Kong], page 30

     ngo⁵ faan¹ dou³ uk¹ kei² tung⁴ aa³ maa¹ gong² ji⁵ ging¹ gon² zo² ceot¹ haau³, gik¹ dou³ aa³ maa¹ zik¹ hak¹ daa² zo² ngo⁵ jat¹ caan¹, zan¹ hai⁶ daa² dou³ aa³ maa¹ dou¹ m⁴ jing⁶ dak¹. [Jyutping]

     When I got back home, I told mom that I was kicked out from school. This infuriated her and she immediately beat me up very awfully.

   • 阿SIR、消防員無乜嘢做，救護員做到阿媽都唔認得。 [Cantonese, trad.]
     阿SIR、消防员无乜嘢做，救护员做到阿妈都唔认得。 [Cantonese, simp.]

     From: 2021, 梁寶龍, 政府內部的吶喊──香港公務員工運口述史, page 186

     aa³ soe⁴, siu¹ fong⁴ jyun⁴ mou⁵ mat¹ je⁵ zou⁶, gau³ wu⁶ jyun⁴ zou⁶ dou³ aa³ maa¹ dou¹ m⁴ jing⁶ dak¹. [Jyutping]

     The policemen and firefighters have not much to do, [while] the paramedics (over)work awfully.