- Also written
- Hard-ears, Haad yeye
What “Hard ears” means
Hard ears describes someone who won't listen to advice or instructions, especially a child who keeps doing what they were told not to. It is used both as a describing phrase ("yuh hard ears") and as a noun ("a hard-ears pickney").
Examples
Yuh too hard ears, mi tell yuh already!
You're so stubborn, I told you already!
Hard-ears pickney nuh listen.
A stubborn child doesn't listen.
How to use it
Parents, grandparents and teachers say it to children all the time. Between adults it is a mild, exasperated complaint rather than an insult.
Cultural context
It is closely tied to the well-known saying "Who cyaan hear mus feel" (those who won't listen will learn the hard way), which Jamaican parents use as a warning.