gwaai3 sau3怪獸怪兽

Jyutpinggwaai3 sau3

Yalegwaai sau

名詞Common

Definition

Monster; an unidentified, typically malevolent creature.

colloquialpeopledescriptions

How it's used

Beyond the literal sense of a terrifying creature, this term is frequently used in the compound 怪獸家長 to describe overprotective or demanding parents who obsessively manage their children's academic success. It carries a strong connotation of being unnatural or excessive in one's behavior. The term is rarely used to describe actual animals, as it implies a supernatural or fictional quality.

Measure word

zek3隻jek

Examples

sai3細lou6路zai2仔gin3見dou3到gwaai3怪sau3獸wui2會hou2好geng1驚。

Children get very scared when they see a monster.

nei5你tai2睇hei3戲gin3見dou2到go2嗰zek3隻gwaai3怪sau3獸hai6係mai6咪hou2好cau2醜joeng2樣？

Is the monster you saw in the movie very ugly?

Common phrases

gwaai3怪sau3獸gaa1家zoeng2長

helicopter parent

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with 怪物, which is a more general term for a freak of nature or a person with a bizarre personality. While they are often interchangeable, 怪獸 specifically evokes the image of a large, threatening, and often imaginary beast.