keoi1拘

Jyutpingkeoi1

Yalekēui

語素

Definition

To limit, restrain, or restrict.

colloquialdescriptionsemotion

How it's used

Used primarily in negative constructions like 唔拘 to express that one does not mind something or is not bothered by a particular condition. It carries a sense of being overly formal, rigid, or constrained by social conventions. When someone says 唔拘, they are signaling flexibility and a lack of fussiness.

Examples

zou6做jan4人m4唔hou2好gam3咁keoi1拘，fong3放sung1鬆di1啲laa1啦。

Don't be so uptight, just relax.

nei5你sai2使mat1乜keoi1拘nai4泥jyu1於ni1呢di1啲siu2小zit3節aa4呀？

Why do you need to be so hung up on these minor details?

Common phrases

m4唔keoi1拘

don't mind; it's fine

keoi1拘nai4泥

to be pedantic; to be stuck on details

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with 拘留 which means to detain or arrest, a much more serious legal term. Ensure you do not use 拘 as a standalone verb in daily speech, as it almost always appears in compound forms or fixed expressions.