jiu2 zing1妖精
Jyutpingjiu2 zing1
Yaleyíu jīng
Definition
An evil spirit, lesser demon, or mischievous supernatural creature.
colloquialother
How it's used
Refers primarily to malevolent, shape-shifting spirits in folklore rather than the whimsical, winged creatures found in Western children's stories. It often carries a connotation of someone being seductive or manipulative, similar to the concept of a femme fatale. When used to describe a person, it implies they are cunning or trying to bewitch someone.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
It feels like there are demons lurking around here, it's so scary.
Don't believe what those demons say, they love to trick people.
Related words
Common phrases
a chaotic, messy fight or argument
a homewrecker or seductive woman
Common mistake
Do not use this to translate the Western concept of a 'fairy' or 'elf' in a positive context, as it almost exclusively implies something sinister or deceptive in Cantonese.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
