kao peh kao bu
To make a fuss, to complain or whine excessively, to complain to high heaven.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Stop your kao peh kao bu and just finish the work.”
“You always kao peh kao bu when we eat at this restaurant.”
“Please do not kao peh kao bu about the small price increase.”
“He started to kao peh kao bu the moment the boss asked him to stay late on a Friday.”
“My neighbor likes to kao peh kao bu about the noise whenever I play music during the day.”
“The players began to kao peh kao bu after the referee made a decision they did not like.”
“The tourists started to kao peh kao bu when they realized the hotel pool was closed for repairs during their entire vacation.”
“Despite the minor nature of the inconvenience, he continued to kao peh kao bu, exhausting the patience of everyone in the room.”
From the Hokkien phrase 哭爸哭母 (khàu-pē-khàu-bú), which translates literally as "to weep for one's father and mother" or "to quarrel with one's parents." The term functions as a figurative description of one who complains to high heaven, equating the act of excessive grumbling with the vocal lamentations performed at a parental funeral.
Last updated August 10, 2026