je5 maai4惹埋
Jyutpingje5 maai4
Yaleyéh màaih
Definition
To get infected as well, or to attract unwanted attention or trouble together.
- to get infected as well; to contract a disease too
- to attract or bring along trouble, attention, or unwanted things
colloquialhealthpeople
How it's used
The particle 埋 adds a sense of accumulation or involvement, suggesting that the subject has inadvertently brought something negative into their own sphere or onto others. It is frequently used for contagious illnesses or abstract negative states like trouble, debt, or bad habits. Unlike simple verbs of attraction, this implies a process of spreading or sticking to someone.
Examples
Your cold is not better yet, be careful not to infect your family.
Related words
Common phrases
to bring a lot of trouble upon oneself
to catch germs or get infected
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 惹事, which specifically means to cause trouble. 惹埋 implies the subject is the recipient or the carrier of the negative thing, rather than the active instigator of the trouble itself.
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.
