bat1 caa1不差
Jyutpingbat1 caa1
Yalebāt chā
Definition
Not bad; quite good.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
Native speakers almost exclusively use the negative form 唔差 to express that something is good or acceptable. It functions as a classic Cantonese understatement, where saying something is not bad is a common way to offer a compliment without sounding overly enthusiastic or boastful. It is frequently paired with the sentence-final particle 喎 to add a sense of discovery or mild surprise.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often try to use 不差 in positive contexts like a Mandarin speaker might, but in Cantonese, it is rarely used without the negative 唔. Using it as a direct positive adjective sounds unnatural and literary to local ears.
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.
