gai1鷄
Jyutpinggai1
Yalegāi
Definition
Chicken, fowl, or a trigger; also used as slang for a prostitute.
- chicken; fowl
- slangprostitute
- the trigger of a gun
colloquialfoodanimals
How it's used
Beyond its literal meaning as a bird, this term is frequently used in slang to refer to a prostitute. Because of this secondary meaning, it is often avoided in polite conversation when referring to the animal, where people might prefer using 鷄肉 to be explicit. In a military or weapon context, it also refers to the trigger mechanism of a firearm.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
Shall we have poached chicken for dinner tonight?
Do you know where to buy fresh chicken?
Related words
Common mistake
Be very careful using this word in casual conversation, as calling someone a 鷄 is a highly offensive slur implying they are a sex worker. Always ensure the context is clearly about food or the animal to avoid causing serious offense.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
