mou4 gaa1 ho2 gwai1無家可歸无家可归
Jyutpingmou4 gaa1 ho2 gwai1
Yalemòuh gā hó gwāi
Definition
Homeless; having no home to return to or having lost one's home.
neutralpeopleother
How it's used
This is a formal idiom that carries a heavy, tragic tone, often used in news reports or serious discussions about disasters and social issues. While it is perfectly understandable in speech, it sounds quite dramatic for everyday conversation about someone simply moving out or losing a lease. For casual situations, people prefer descriptive phrases like 冇地方住 or 冇屋企返.
Examples
The fire burned down the house, and they ended up homeless.
Stray cats and dogs are pitiful; they are always homeless.
Related words
Common phrases
to result in homelessness
to make someone homeless
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
