kap1 kap1 ho2 ngai4岌岌可危
Jyutpingkap1 kap1 ho2 ngai4
Yalekāp kāp hó ngàih
Definition
In imminent danger, critical, or highly precarious.
neutraldescriptions
How it's used
This idiom carries a strong sense of urgency and instability, often used to describe situations that are on the verge of collapse. While it appears in formal writing, it is also frequently used in news reports and serious discussions to emphasize how fragile a situation has become. It implies that the current state is unsustainable and a disaster is likely to happen very soon.
Examples
His company's finances are in imminent danger, and it could fold at any time.
The structure of this old building is in imminent danger, so the government has to tear it down.
Related words
Common phrases
the situation is precarious
finances are in imminent danger
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a general word for 'dangerous' like 危險, but it specifically describes a state of precariousness or an imminent threat of collapse rather than just a risky activity.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Particle
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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.
