lek1 zai2叻仔
Jyutpinglek1 zai2
Yalelēk jái
Definition
A smart, clever, or capable boy; also used sarcastically to criticize someone for being too clever for their own good.
- smart kid; clever boy; capable young man
- figurativea smart aleck; someone whose overcleverness leads to backfiring
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Carries a strong dual nature, shifting easily between genuine praise for a child or subordinate and biting sarcasm for an adult who has overstepped their bounds. When used sarcastically, it implies the person has acted with misplaced confidence or tried to be too clever for their own good. It is almost exclusively applied to males, as the female equivalent is 叻女.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
You get first place every time, you really are a smart kid!
Do you think you're so clever? You've made a complete mess of everything.
Related words
Common phrases
really a smart boy
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe a professional or a peer in a serious context, as it can sound patronizing or condescending. Calling an adult 叻仔 when they have made a mistake is a direct personal attack on their competence.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
