daai2歹
Jyutpingdaai2
Yaledáai
Definition
Evil, bad, or vicious.
- evil; bad; wicked
- having bad intentions; malicious; hateful
writtendescriptions
How it's used
This character is rarely used in modern spoken Cantonese as a standalone adjective. It is almost exclusively found in compound words or fixed expressions like 歹徒 or 歹心. Using it in casual conversation can sound overly dramatic or literary, similar to using archaic language in English.
Examples
This person has a bad heart, you need to be careful.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 壞, which is the standard, everyday word for bad or broken. Using 歹 to describe a broken object or a bad situation will sound unnatural and confusing to native speakers.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
