gwai2 soeng5 san1鬼上身
Jyutpinggwai2 soeng5 san1
Yalegwái séuhng sān
Definition
To be possessed by ghosts or spirits.
colloquialpeopleslang
How it's used
Used metaphorically to describe someone behaving in an erratic, uncharacteristic, or irrational manner. It is rarely used in a literal religious or supernatural context in daily conversation. The phrase implies that the person's current actions are so bizarre that they must be controlled by an external, malevolent force.
Examples
He is acting so strangely, it is like he is possessed.
Are you possessed? Why are you suddenly acting crazy?
Related words
Common phrases
like being possessed
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe someone who is simply angry or having a bad day. It is specifically reserved for behavior that seems completely out of character or inexplicable to the observer.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
