go2 di1 je5嗰啲嘢
Jyutpinggo2 di1 je5
Yalegó dī yéh
Definition
Ghosts or spirits.
colloquialother
How it's used
Using this phrase allows speakers to avoid saying the word 鬼 directly, which is often considered taboo or unlucky in certain contexts, especially at night or in places associated with death. It functions as a vague, polite, or superstitious way to refer to supernatural entities without inviting their attention. The phrase is highly context dependent and relies on the listener understanding the unspoken implication.
Examples
Do you believe there are ghosts here?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this phrase to refer to actual physical objects, as the listener will likely assume you are talking about something supernatural or spooky. If you simply mean 'those things' in a literal sense, use 嗰啲嘢 but ensure your tone and context make it clear you are not referring to spirits.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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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).
