hei1 kei4稀奇
Jyutpinghei1 kei4
Yalehēi kèih
Definition
Rare and strange, causing wonder or surprise.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
Often used in rhetorical questions to downplay the significance of an event, implying that something is not actually worth being surprised about. It carries a slightly judgmental or dismissive tone when someone expresses shock at a mundane occurrence. While it can describe physical rarity, it is most frequently employed to comment on social or behavioral anomalies.
Examples
These things are quite rare; it's hard to see them usually.
The sun rising from the west today is truly strange.
Related words
Common phrases
what is so rare about it
truly rare or strange
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 奇特, but 稀奇 specifically emphasizes the scarcity or infrequency of an event rather than just its bizarre nature. Avoid using it to describe people who are simply eccentric, as it focuses more on the situation or the object.
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.
