haak3 gwai2嚇鬼吓鬼
Jyutpinghaak3 gwai2
Yalehaak gwái
Definition
To bluff or use scare tactics in order to intimidate someone into backing down.
colloquialpeopleemotion
How it's used
Used primarily to dismiss someone who is putting on a fake show of power or aggression. It carries a strong sense of skepticism, implying that the speaker sees right through the bluff and finds the attempt pathetic rather than frightening. It is a very common way to call someone's bluff in a heated argument.
Examples
Are you trying to scare me? I won't be intimidated by these little tricks of yours.
He is always bluffing to scare people, but he actually has nothing to back it up.
Related words
Common phrases
to scare the hell out of someone
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe actual fear or a genuine threat. It specifically targets the performative aspect of someone trying to intimidate others without having the actual ability or intention to follow through.
Grammar color guide
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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).
