o1 li1 gat1 dai3阿哩吉諦阿哩吉谛
Jyutpingo1 li1 gat1 dai3
Yaleō lī gāt dai
Definition
To be in a tight spot, down on one's luck, or in deep trouble.
slangslangemotion
How it's used
This term is a phonetic loanword derived from the Japanese word arigatai, which originally means grateful. In Cantonese, it has undergone a semantic shift to describe a state of being in a difficult, messy, or helpless situation. It carries a slightly humorous or self-deprecating tone when describing one's own misfortune.
Examples
His business failed recently, he is really in a tight spot.
You've made such a mess, how are you going to muddle through?
Related words
Common phrases
to end up in a mess
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the original Japanese meaning of grateful, as native speakers will only understand it in the context of being in trouble or a muddled state. It is considered dated slang and is rarely used by younger generations.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
