bat1 cak1不測不测
Jyutpingbat1 cak1
Yalebāt chāk
Definition
An unexpected accident or misfortune, often referring to death.
neutralpeopleother
How it's used
Carries a heavy, ominous tone and is almost exclusively used to refer to death or a fatal accident in a euphemistic way. It functions as a formal or literary expression that sounds quite dramatic in everyday speech, often appearing in news reports or when someone is expressing deep concern about a missing person.
Examples
They have been out for so long and haven't returned, I'm really worried something bad happened to them.
If something truly terrible happens to them, what will their family do?
Related words
Common phrases
to meet with an untoward event or death
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe minor surprises or general unexpected events, as it is strictly reserved for life-threatening situations or tragedies.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
