bat1 ngaa5不雅
Jyutpingbat1 ngaa5
Yalebāt ngáh
Definition
Indecent or inappropriate, especially regarding behavior or media involving nudity or sexual content.
neutraldescriptionspeople
How it's used
Often applied to media content, public behavior, or language that violates social norms regarding modesty or decorum. It carries a formal tone despite being used in daily life to describe situations that are offensive or embarrassing to witness. When describing someone's behavior, it implies a lack of manners or a breach of public decency.
Examples
This photo is very indecent, delete it quickly.
Doesn't he feel it's indecent to do these actions in public?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse this with 唔禮貌, which specifically refers to being impolite or rude. Use 不雅 when the issue is about moral or aesthetic inappropriateness rather than just a lack of social etiquette.
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.
