牛唔飲水唔撳得牛頭低

Chinese

		ox; cow; bull	hold in mouth; bite; (Cant.) no/not	drinking water; potable water; to drink water	hold in mouth; bite; (Cant.) no/not	to press	get; obtain; gain get; obtain; gain; proper; suitable; proud; contented; allow; permit; ready; finished; a sentence particle used after a verb to show effect; degree or possibility; to have to; must; ought to; to need to	oxhead; Daoist priest	to lower (one's head); to let droop; to hang down to lower (one's head); to let droop; to hang down; low; to incline; beneath
trad. (牛唔飲水唔撳得牛頭低)		牛	唔	飲水	唔	撳	得	牛頭	低
simp. (牛唔饮水唔揿得牛头低)		牛	唔	饮水	唔	揿	得	牛头	低
alternative forms		牛唔飲水唔㩒得牛頭低／牛唔饮水唔㩒得牛头低
Literally: “If a cow does not drink water, one cannot press its head down”.

Pronunciation

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ngau⁴ m⁴ jam² seoi² m⁴ gam⁶ dak¹ ngau⁴ tau⁴ dai¹

---

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ngau⁴ m⁴ jam² seoi² m⁴ gam⁶ dak¹ ngau⁴ tau⁴ dai¹
    • Yale: ngàuh m̀h yám séui m̀h gahm dāk ngàuh tàuh dāi
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ngau⁴ m⁴ jam² soey² m⁴ gam⁶ dak⁷ ngau⁴ tau⁴ dai¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: ngeo⁴ m⁴ yem² sêu² m⁴ gem⁶ deg¹ ngeo⁴ teo⁴ dei¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋɐu̯²¹ m̩²¹ jɐm³⁵ sɵy̯³⁵ m̩²¹ kɐm²² tɐk̚⁵ ŋɐu̯²¹ tʰɐu̯²¹ tɐi̯⁵⁵/

Proverb

牛唔飲水唔撳得牛頭低

1. (Cantonese) you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink; you cannot force someone to do something