水seoi2抱pou5

English

1. an inflatable swim ring; a lifebuoy
2. swim ring; swim tube; water donut; lifebuoy; life preserver
3. figuratively, substitute; alternative; backup; also used to describe a partner treated as a temporary substitute after a break-up

粵語 — Cantonese

1. 水上活動同救生工具，浮力好高、形狀好似冬甩嘅圈，捉實或者套住佢就可以喺水面浮（量詞：個／隻）
2. 代替品；後備；唔係好情願，只係用住先嘅嘢；都會用嚟比喻冇拖拍嗰陣攝時間嘅男女朋友（量詞：個）

Examples

• 佢唔識游水㗎，俾個水泡佢啦！

  He doesn't know how to swim. Give him a swim ring. ----

• 其實我唔鍾意電腦㗎，我當呢科係水泡咋！

  Actually I don't like computers. I'm just thinking of it as an easy alternative!

• 佢俾女朋友飛咗冇耐就同你拍拖，擺明揾你做水泡啦！

  He got dumped and started seeing you soon after. He's clearly treating you as a mere backup.