kei4 lei4奇離奇离
Jyutpingkei4 lei4
Yalekèih lèih
Definition
Eccentric, bizarre, or strange in appearance, behavior, or manners.
colloquialdescriptionspeople
How it's used
Focuses specifically on visual aesthetics or social conduct that deviates from the norm in a negative way. It carries a stronger sense of judgment than just being weird, implying that the subject is an eyesore or socially unacceptable. While often applied to fashion, it is equally effective for describing someone whose behavior is bizarre or off-putting.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 奇怪, which is a neutral term for something simply unusual or mysterious. 奇離 is inherently critical and carries a negative connotation of being unappealing or offensive to the senses.
Grammar color guide
Noun
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Classifier
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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.
