When words fail, use idioms… Hokkien style (19)

Hokkien, on the tongues of Tsinoys, has grown and evolved, taking on a life of its own. Sometimes words simply fail us. With some creativity, Tsinoys have strung together words to form colorful phrases that simply hit the bull’s eye.

Here are some expressions unique to Hokkien as favored by Tsinoys.

Idioms, expressions	Hokkien pronunciation	Literal translation	Meaning
見抹敗	kian bo pai	every touch fails	describing a clumsy person
吃軟飯	tsia neng peng	eating soft rice	having an easy job with a big pay
大聲小説	tua siaⁿ sue se	loud noise	speaking loudly
蠻木頭	ban tsa t’ao	stubborn wooden head	a very hard headed person
見生死	kiⁿ seng si	look for life and death	someone fighting for his right to the very end

First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 28, no. 22 (April 19-May 9, 2016): 13.