daai6 zai3大掣
Jyutpingdaai6 zai3
Yaledaaih jai
Definition
The main switch, or an arcade game joystick.
- main switch; master power switch
- joystick on an arcade game machine
colloquialhometechnology
How it's used
Refers primarily to the main electrical breaker for a household or building, but also serves as the nostalgic term for the large, ball-topped joystick found on classic arcade cabinets. When used in the context of electricity, it is interchangeable with 總掣. The shift in meaning between electrical hardware and gaming equipment is context-dependent and rarely causes confusion.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
The power tripped at home, go flip the main switch back on.
Back when I went to arcades to play games, the joystick was hard to control.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with general light switches or small buttons, which are usually called 開關 or 掣. Using it for a standard wall switch for a single light bulb sounds unnatural.
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.
