gai1 coeng4 zi6雞腸字鸡肠字

Jyutpinggai1 coeng4 zi6

Yalegāi chèuhng jih

Definition

Illegible, cursive, or foreign handwriting, especially English script.

colloquialcommunicationslang

How it's used

Refers specifically to the Latin alphabet used in English, which looks like tangled chicken intestines to someone unfamiliar with it. It is a humorous, slightly self-deprecating term often used by native Cantonese speakers when they find English text difficult to read or overly long. It is rarely used in formal or professional settings.

Examples

fan2份hap6合joek3約cyun4全bou6部dou1都hai6係gai1雞coeng4腸zi6字，ngo5我tai2睇m4唔ming4明aa4呀。

The contract is all in English, I can't understand it.

nei5你se2寫di1啲gai1雞coeng4腸zi6字gam3咁liu2潦，bin1邊go3個tai2睇dak1得ming4明aa4呀？

Your English handwriting is so messy, who can read it?

Common phrases

tai2睇gai1雞coeng2腸

to read English text

se2寫gai1雞coeng2腸

to write in English

Common mistake

Do not use this term in a formal business meeting or when speaking to someone who does not speak Cantonese, as it can sound dismissive or rude regarding the English language.