gei1 ce1機車机车
Jyutpinggei1 ce1
Yalegēi chē
Definition
Locomotive or train engine.
neutraltransport
How it's used
Refers specifically to the power unit of a train rather than the entire passenger carriage. While technically accurate in engineering contexts, most locals prefer using the more colloquial term 火車頭 when discussing trains in everyday life. It is distinct from the Taiwan slang usage where it describes someone as annoying or fussy.
Measure word
gaa3架gaExamples
Have you ever seen an old-fashioned steam locomotive?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Taiwan Mandarin slang meaning of being difficult or annoying, as that usage is not standard in Hong Kong Cantonese.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
