hak1 zai2黑仔
Jyutpinghak1 zai2
Yalehāk jái
Definition
Unlucky, unfortunate, or plagued by bad luck.
colloquialpeopleemotion
How it's used
Focuses on a person's perceived state of bad luck rather than an objective event. It is frequently used in self-deprecation or to tease friends about their recurring misfortune. The term implies a sense of helplessness, as if the person is being targeted by bad luck.
Examples
I am so unlucky today, I was late for the bus too.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the adjective 黑, which simply means black in color. While 黑仔 is a person who is unlucky, saying someone is 黑 can sometimes imply they are morally corrupt or involved in shady business depending on the context.
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.
