waat6滑
Jyutpingwaat6
Yalewaaht
Definition
Smooth or slippery; having very little surface resistance.
colloquialdescriptionsbody
How it's used
Beyond describing physical surfaces, this word is frequently used to describe skin texture, particularly when praising someone for having a clear and soft complexion. It can also metaphorically describe a person who is cunning or evasive, similar to calling someone a slippery character in English. When used for food, it specifically highlights a desirable, silky, or tender texture, such as in steamed fish or silken tofu.
Examples
This road is very slippery after the rain, walk carefully.
Her face is as smooth as a peeled egg, I am so envious.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 溜, which is often used in Mandarin for slippery. While 溜 can be understood in some contexts, 滑 is the standard and most natural choice for both physical slipperiness and smooth textures in Cantonese.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
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).
