gwai2鬼

Jyutpinggwai2

Yalegwái

名詞Very common

Definition

Ghost; the spirit of a deceased person remaining in the human world.

colloquialpeopleother

How it's used

Beyond the literal meaning of a spirit, this word is incredibly versatile in Cantonese as a prefix or suffix to describe people or situations. It often adds a sense of mischief, negativity, or even affection depending on the context, such as calling someone a 鬼馬 for being clever or cheeky. It is also frequently used in rhetorical questions to express disbelief or frustration, like 鬼知咩 meaning 'how would I know'.

Measure word

zek3隻jek

Examples

ni1呢dou6度hou2好ci5似jau5有gwai2鬼gam3咁，haak3嚇sei2死jan4人aa3呀。

It feels like there are ghosts here, it's terrifying.

nei5你seon3信m4唔seon3信ni1呢go3個sai3世gaai3界zan1真hai6係jau5有gwai2鬼？

Do you believe that ghosts really exist in this world?

Common phrases

maang5猛gwai2鬼

haunted

zong2撞gwai2鬼

to encounter a ghost

Common mistake

Learners often confuse the literal use of 鬼 with its metaphorical uses. When someone says 冇鬼用, they are not talking about a ghost, but rather that something is useless or ineffective. Always check if the speaker is being literal or using it as an intensifier.