bai6弊
Jyutpingbai6
Yalebaih
Definition
Bad, disadvantageous, or harmful.
colloquialdescriptionsemotion
How it's used
Functions both as a noun meaning disadvantage and as an exclamation of distress or bad luck. When used as an exclamation, it is often doubled or followed by particles to emphasize the severity of a situation. It carries a sense of impending trouble or a realization that something has gone wrong.
Examples
This time it is really bad, I forgot to bring my keys.
What are the disadvantages of this plan?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 閉, which is often used in the phrase 閉翳 to describe feeling worried or troubled. While both relate to negative situations, 弊 focuses on the badness or disadvantage of a thing, whereas 閉 in this context relates to the internal state of being anxious.
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.
