kiu1 kei1蹺蹊跷蹊
Jyutpingkiu1 kei1
Yalekīu kēi
Definition
Fishy, suspicious, or strange; containing hidden problems.
colloquialdescriptionsother
How it's used
Often used to describe a situation where something feels off or not quite right, even if you cannot pinpoint the exact cause. It carries a sense of intuition or gut feeling that a hidden agenda or a secret problem exists. It is frequently paired with the particle 啲 to soften the tone when expressing mild suspicion.
Examples
This matter seems a bit suspicious, you should check it out clearly first.
Don't you think there is something fishy about this plan?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 奇怪, which simply means strange or weird. 蹺蹊 specifically implies that there is a hidden problem, a trick, or a conspiracy behind the scenes, rather than just something being unusual.
Grammar color guide
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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.
