gei1羈羁

Jyutpinggei1

Yalegēi

語素

Definition

To restrain, restrict, or control.

colloquialother

How it's used

Used primarily as a bound morpheme in formal or legal contexts such as 羈押 or 羈留. When used colloquially as a verb, it often carries a sense of being held back or hindered by circumstances, though it is significantly less common than synonyms like 綁 or 限制.

Examples

keoi5佢fan2份gung1工hou2好gei1羈，seng4成jat6日dou1都jiu3要OT。

His job is very restrictive, he always has to work overtime.

nei5你m4唔hou2好bei3畀di1啲kwai1規geoi2矩gei1羈zyu6住saai3晒laa1啦。

Don't let the rules restrict you so much.

Common phrases

gei1羈aat3押

to detain

gei1羈lau4留

to hold in custody

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with 羈絆, which refers to emotional ties or burdens, whereas 羈 on its own in spoken Cantonese is usually used in the sense of being physically or situationally restricted.