gaak3胳
Jyutpinggaak3
Yalegaak
Definition
Armpit, or to tickle someone under the arm.
- armpit
- to tickle under the arm
colloquialbody
How it's used
The character 胳 is almost exclusively used in the compound 胳肋底 to refer to the armpit. While the character itself might appear in some dictionaries, you will rarely see it standing alone in spoken Cantonese. It is a very specific, anatomical term that is often paired with the verb 𢱕 when describing the act of tickling.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
armpit
Common mistake
Learners often mistake the pronunciation or try to use 胳 as a standalone word for arm, but it is strictly for the armpit area. Ensure you use the full compound 胳肋底 to sound natural.
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.
