lau6 gai1漏雞漏鸡
Jyutpinglau6 gai1
Yalelauh gāi
Definition
An oversight, a omission, or a missed opportunity.
colloquialdaily actionsother
How it's used
Originating from the gambling table, this term specifically refers to missing a chance to win or failing to notice a winning hand. It has since expanded to describe any situation where someone overlooks a detail or fails to capitalize on a favorable circumstance. The imagery implies a clumsy oversight rather than a deliberate choice.
Examples
This opportunity is so good, make sure you don't miss out on it.
Being so careless at work and always missing details, how are you going to get a promotion?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 走雞, which specifically refers to missing out on a concrete opportunity or a bargain. While they are similar, 漏雞 often carries a stronger nuance of being careless or unobservant, whereas 走雞 is more about the external situation slipping away.
Grammar color guide
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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).
