gei3旡
Jyutpinggei3
Yalegei
Definition
To choke on food.
colloquialbodydaily actions
How it's used
旡 is a specific verb used when food or drink goes down the wrong pipe, causing a sudden coughing reflex. It is almost exclusively used with the particle 親 to indicate the accidental nature of the choking. While it is a very common spoken term, it is rarely written in formal contexts, where people might use 嗆 instead.
Examples
Don't talk while eating, be careful not to choke.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 哽, which refers to food getting stuck in the throat or esophagus. 旡 specifically describes the reflex of coughing or sputtering when something enters the airway, rather than a blockage.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
