bat1 zai3不濟不济
Jyutpingbat1 zai3
Yalebāt jai
Definition
Poor, substandard, or lackluster, especially when describing a performance or results.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
Carries a slightly formal or literary tone despite being used in spoken Cantonese to describe poor quality or performance. It is often used to express disappointment or a critical judgment about someone's capability or the state of a situation. It functions as a more sophisticated alternative to 唔掂 or 差.
Examples
His recent performance has been quite poor, making the whole team frustrated.
Do you think this plan is really lackluster?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe physical objects that are broken or malfunctioning, as it specifically refers to abstract quality, performance, or capability. It is not a casual slang term and sounds out of place in very informal or friendly settings.
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.
