maa5 zai2馬仔马仔
Jyutpingmaa5 zai2
Yalemáh jái
Definition
A racehorse, horse betting, or a subordinate.
- a racehorse; also referring to horse betting as an activity
- slanga subordinate; a henchman; a junior employee
colloquialmoneypeople
How it's used
While literally meaning a pony, this term is almost exclusively used in the context of horse racing and gambling. It carries a casual, slightly informal tone that distinguishes it from the more formal term 賽馬. When referring to a person as a subordinate or henchman, it implies a lack of status and suggests they are merely following orders like a tool.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
Are you going to bet on horses tonight?
He is always obsessed with horse betting and is very immature.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Cantonese snack called 馬仔, which is a sweet, crispy treat made of fried dough and syrup. Context is usually sufficient to distinguish between the gambling term and the food item.
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).
