baai6 gaa1敗家败家
Jyutpingbaai6 gaa1
Yalebaaih gā
Definition
To squander a family fortune or bring disgrace upon one's family.
colloquialfamilymoney
How it's used
Focuses on the squandering of family wealth or the bringing of shame upon one's kin. It carries a strong moral judgment and is often used as a direct insult toward someone perceived as irresponsible or destructive to their family's legacy. While it can describe the act of wasting money, it is most powerful when used to label a person as a disgrace.
Examples
You always spend money recklessly, you really are a spendthrift.
Related words
Common phrases
a spendthrift son
a person who ruins the family fortune
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with simply being poor or having bad luck. It specifically implies that the person is actively causing the family's decline through their own poor choices or character flaws.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
