gaan1 sai3奸細奸细
Jyutpinggaan1 sai3
Yalegāan sai
Definition
Spy, traitor, or informer who betrays their own group.
colloquialpeople
How it's used
This term carries a strong, negative, and somewhat old-fashioned or dramatic tone compared to modern slang. It is often associated with historical dramas or war stories rather than everyday office politics. While it refers to someone who betrays their group, it implies a more calculated and malicious intent than simply being a snitch.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
There is a spy in the company who keeps leaking secrets to others.
Related words
Common phrases
to catch a spy
Common mistake
Avoid using this in casual settings to describe someone who just tells on others, as it sounds overly serious or theatrical. Use 二五仔 for a more natural, colloquial way to describe a traitor or an informant in daily life.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
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Classifier
Particle
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
