hou2 daai2好歹
Jyutpinghou2 daai2
Yalehóu dáai
Definition
In any case; anyhow; regardless of the outcome.
colloquialdaily actionspeople
How it's used
Conveys a sense of concession or insistence that something must be done or acknowledged despite unfavorable circumstances. It often functions to persuade someone to perform a basic, expected action when they are otherwise reluctant or busy. The tone is slightly more assertive than simply saying at least, as it implies a moral or social obligation.
Examples
You should at least eat a little something regardless.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the Mandarin usage where it can mean good or bad in a more literal sense. In Cantonese, it is almost exclusively used as an adverb to mean at least or in any case to urge an action.
Grammar color guide
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Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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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.
