gik1 sau2棘手
Jyutpinggik1 sau2
Yalegīk sáu
Definition
Thorny, troublesome, knotty, or difficult to solve.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
Describes situations or tasks that are difficult to resolve because they are complex or delicate. It carries a sense of being stuck or facing a dilemma where no easy solution is apparent. While it can be used in formal writing, it is equally common in spoken Cantonese to describe everyday frustrations.
Examples
This matter is really thorny, I don't know how to handle it.
What is the most troublesome problem you have encountered?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 麻煩, which is a broader term for anything inconvenient or annoying. 棘手 specifically implies a high level of difficulty or a lack of a clear path forward, rather than just being a nuisance.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
