gwai2 jing2鬼影
Jyutpinggwai2 jing2
Yalegwái yíng
Definition
A ghost, phantom, or shadowy figure; most commonly used to describe a place that is completely deserted.
- ghost; phantom; shadowy figure
- not a soul (used in negative constructions to describe a deserted place)
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Used almost exclusively within the set phrase 鬼影都冇隻 to describe a place that is completely empty or deserted. It emphasizes a sense of eerie stillness or total absence of human activity. While it literally refers to a ghost's shadow, it is a standard idiomatic way to express that a location is devoid of people.
Examples
The street is deathly quiet, not a soul in sight.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe a literal shadow cast by a ghost or a person. It is strictly a hyperbolic expression for emptiness and cannot be used to describe the presence of a spirit or a silhouette.
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.
