hei2 si5起市
Jyutpinghei2 si5
Yalehéi síh
Definition
Arrogant or putting on airs; can also refer to being overpriced.
- arrogant; putting on airs
- overpriced; expensive
colloquialpeoplemoney
How it's used
Describes someone who acts superior or a business that charges exorbitant prices. It carries a strong sense of disapproval, implying that the subject is being unreasonably difficult or snobbish. When applied to shops, it suggests the prices are not just high, but reflect an attitude of elitism or greed.
Examples
He is usually arrogant and doesn't like to chat with people.
That shop is so overpriced, who would ever patronize it?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin term 起市 which refers to the opening of a market. In Cantonese, it is strictly an adjective describing personality or pricing.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
