gei2 hou2 aa1 maa3幾好吖嘛几好吖嘛
Definition
An expression used to ask how someone is doing or to say that things are going quite well.
- how are you doing?; how are things?
- doing quite well; pretty good
How it's used
This phrase combines the adverb 幾, the adjective 好, and the sentence-final particle cluster 吖嘛 to express a rhetorical confirmation or a gentle challenge. It assumes the listener already knows or agrees that the situation is positive, often used to question why someone would change a good status quo. The 吖嘛 particle adds a sense of 'as you know' or 'obviously', making it sound more conversational and slightly opinionated.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Learners often mistake 幾好吖嘛 for a simple question about quality. Because of the 吖嘛 particle, it carries a strong rhetorical nuance that implies you are already aware of the positive state, so it can sound confrontational if used when you genuinely have no idea about the situation.
Grammar color guide
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
