kau4 kei4求其
Jyutpingkau4 kei4
Yalekàuh kèih
Definition
Sloppy, careless, or half-hearted; doing things with a lack of seriousness or effort.
colloquialdescriptionsdaily actions
How it's used
Carries a nuance of indifference or lack of standards, often used when someone accepts whatever is available without preference. It can describe a person's work ethic as sloppy, or it can describe a decision-making process that is intentionally lazy or unbothered. When used to describe food or plans, it implies a desire for simplicity and convenience rather than quality.
Examples
Don't be so careless with your work, you need to be more serious.
What should we eat tonight? Let's just cook some noodles carelessly and call it a day.
Related words
Common phrases
to do something half-heartedly
to have a quick, simple meal without fuss
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin term 隨便, which can sometimes imply being open to suggestions or being easy-going in a positive sense. In Cantonese, 求其 almost always carries a negative connotation of laziness or lack of effort.
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.
