maai6 gwaan1 zi2賣關子卖关子
Jyutpingmaai6 gwaan1 zi2
Yalemaaih gwāan jí
Definition
To stop just short of a story's climax or a key announcement to keep people in suspense.
colloquialcommunicationpeople
How it's used
Originating from traditional Chinese opera, this phrase describes the act of withholding the climax or a key piece of information to maintain interest. It is frequently used in social settings when someone teases a reveal to build anticipation. Use it when you want to highlight that someone is intentionally delaying the punchline or the big news.
Examples
Stop keeping me in suspense, just tell me already.
He always likes to keep people guessing, it is really annoying.
Related words
Common phrases
to keep someone in suspense for a moment
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with simply lying or being secretive. It specifically refers to a temporary delay in revealing information that you fully intend to share eventually, usually for dramatic effect.
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).
