keoi1 keoi1區區区区
Jyutpingkeoi1 keoi1
Yalekēui kēui
Definition
Trivial, trifling, or insignificant.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
Used primarily to belittle or downplay the significance of an amount, a person's status, or a task. It carries a dismissive tone, often implying that the subject is unworthy of serious attention or concern. When used with money, it is frequently paired with 幾蚊雞 to emphasize how small the sum is.
Examples
It is just a few dollars, why be so calculating about it?
He is just a mere newcomer, how could he have the power to decide?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the noun 區域 meaning district or area. While the characters are identical, the reduplicated form 區區 functions as an adjective or modifier to express insignificance, whereas the single character refers to a location.
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).
