coi3 maa5賽馬赛马
Jyutpingcoi3 maa5
Yalechoi máh
Definition
Horse racing; to have a horse race.
colloquialpeopleother
How it's used
While 賽馬 is the formal term used in official news and on betting slips, locals almost exclusively use 跑馬 in casual conversation. The term is deeply embedded in Hong Kong culture, often referring specifically to the events held at the Happy Valley or Sha Tin racecourses. Using 賽馬 in a social setting can sound slightly stiff or like you are reading from a newspaper headline.
Examples
Is there horse racing tomorrow?
He really likes going to Happy Valley to watch the horse racing.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake 賽馬 for a general term for any kind of horse sport, but in Hong Kong, it is almost synonymous with the specific activity of betting on horse races. Avoid using it to describe the act of riding a horse for leisure, which is better expressed as 騎馬.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
