ngai4嵬

Jyutpingngai4

Yalengàih

Definition

Rocky and rugged, especially of mountains.

colloquialnaturedescriptions

How it's used

Primarily used in spoken Cantonese to describe terrain that is uneven, steep, or difficult to traverse due to rocks. It carries a sense of danger or instability, often implying that a surface is not flat enough for safe walking. While it can describe physical landscapes, it is rarely used in formal writing, where terms like 崎嶇 are preferred.

Examples

go2嗰zo2座saan1山hou2好ngai4嵬，m4唔hou2好haang4行gam3咁maai4埋。

That mountain is very rugged, don't walk too close.

tiu4條lou6路gam3咁ngai4嵬，nei5你dim2點joeng2樣haang4行gwo3過heoi3去aa4呀？

The path is so rocky, how are you going to walk across?

Common phrases

saan1山lou6路ngai4嵬

the mountain path is rugged

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with 巍, which refers to something towering or majestic. Ensure you do not use it to describe the height of a building, as it specifically focuses on the uneven, rocky nature of the ground.