hou2 gwai3好貴好贵
Jyutpinghou2 gwai3
Yalehóu gwai
Definition
Very expensive.
colloquialmoneyshopping
How it's used
Use this to express that something exceeds your expected price range or budget. It functions as an adjective and is frequently paired with the particle 呀 to add emphasis or a sense of complaint about the high cost.
Examples
This shirt is so expensive, I can't bring myself to buy it.
Do you think the food here is very expensive?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe a person who is stingy, as that would be 孤寒. Learners sometimes confuse it with 貴氣, which refers to an elegant or refined appearance rather than a monetary price.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
