daai6 gat1 lei6 si6大吉利事

Jyutpingdaai6 gat1 lei6 si6

Yaledaaih gāt leih sih

Definition

Touch wood; knock on wood; an expression used to ward off bad luck.

colloquialother

How it's used

Used as a protective verbal charm to ward off bad luck after someone mentions an unfortunate event or a morbid possibility. It functions similarly to the English expression touch wood or knock on wood, serving to distance the speaker from the negative implications of the preceding statement. It is often accompanied by a gesture of tapping a surface or simply saying it aloud to neutralize the bad omen.

Examples

daai6大gat1吉lei6利si6事，cin1千kei4祈m4唔hou2好gong2講ni1呢di1啲m4唔hou2好ji3意tau4頭ge2嘅je5嘢。

Touch wood, please don't say such unlucky things.

nei5你gong2講me1咩aa3呀？daai6大gat1吉lei6利si6事，faai3快di1啲sau1收hau2口。

What are you saying? Touch wood, shut your mouth quickly.

Common phrases

daai6大gat1吉lei6利si6事，baak3百mou4無gam3禁gei6忌

Touch wood, may no bad luck follow.

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with a literal statement about luck, as it is strictly a superstitious interjection used to cancel out bad vibes. It is considered rude or dismissive if used to interrupt someone who is genuinely expressing grief or serious concern.