gwat1 paai2骨牌
Jyutpinggwat1 paai2
Yalegwāt páai
Definition
Dominoes, both the gaming tiles and the blocks used for chain-reaction toppling.
colloquialdaily actions
How it's used
Refers specifically to the physical tiles used in traditional games like 天九 or the Western game of lining up tiles to create a chain reaction. While the term is used for both Chinese and Western styles, it is most frequently encountered in the metaphorical phrase 骨牌效應 to describe a series of events triggered by one initial action.
Measure word
faai3塊faiExamples
They really love playing dominoes; once they start, they play all night.
nei5你teoi1推lam1冧zo2咗dai6第jat1一faai3塊gwat1骨paai2牌，hau6後min6面di1啲paai4牌zau6就wui2會cyun4全bou6部lam1冧saai3晒。
If you knock over the first domino, all the ones behind it will fall down.
Related words
Common phrases
domino effect
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).
