maang1 gai1掹雞掹鸡
Jyutpingmaang1 gai1
Yalemāang gāi
Definition
The trigger of a gun.
colloquialother
How it's used
Originating from a phonetic adaptation of the Mandarin term for trigger, this word has become the standard colloquial way to refer to a firearm's trigger in Hong Kong. It is almost exclusively used in the context of guns and shooting, carrying a slightly informal tone compared to the more technical or formal terms found in police or legal documents.
Measure word
tiu4條tìuhExamples
Don't go pulling the trigger randomly, it's very dangerous.
His finger has been resting on the trigger the whole time.
Related words
Common phrases
to pull the trigger
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the slang term 掹雞 which can also describe someone who is easily agitated, impatient, or quick to lose their temper, as if they have a hair trigger.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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).
