fai6吠
Jyutpingfai6
Yalefaih
Definition
To bark, yap, or yelp like a dog.
colloquialanimals
How it's used
While 吠 is the standard term for a dog barking, it is often used figuratively to describe someone shouting aggressively or scolding others in an annoying, repetitive way. Using it to describe a person is inherently insulting and implies they are acting like a rabid or unruly animal. In casual conversation, people might also use 叫 to refer to a dog making noise, but 吠 is specifically reserved for barking.
Examples
The dog is barking very fiercely at the door.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use 吠 to describe other animal sounds like meowing or chirping, as it is strictly associated with dogs. When referring to a person shouting, avoid using it unless you intend to be rude or aggressive.
Grammar color guide
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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).
