aa2 zai2啞仔哑仔
Jyutpingaa2 zai2
Yaleá jái
Definition
A mute person; someone who is unable to speak.
colloquialpeople
How it's used
Using this term to describe someone with a speech disability is considered highly offensive and derogatory in modern society. It is strictly avoided in polite or formal conversation, as it reduces a person entirely to their inability to speak. The idiom 啞仔食雲吞 is the only context where this term remains culturally relevant, referring to a situation where someone knows the truth but cannot voice it.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Don't bully others just because you think they are mute.
Related words
Common phrases
to know the truth but be unable to speak about it
Common mistake
Never use this term to address or describe someone with a speech impairment, as it is a slur. Use 聽障人士 or 語言障礙人士 instead if you need to refer to someone's condition respectfully.
Grammar color guide
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Verb
Adjective
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Classifier
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
