paai4俳
Jyutpingpaai4
Yalepàaih
Definition
Amusing, playful, or insincere; also historically referring to an actor or variety show.
- literarynot serious; playful; insincere
- archaican actor; a performer in a variety show
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Primarily used to describe someone who is flighty, insincere, or lacks a serious attitude towards life or commitments. It carries a slightly negative connotation, suggesting that the person is unreliable or prone to joking around when they should be focused. While it can also refer to a female performer in specific contexts, its most common usage in daily speech is to critique someone's lack of sincerity.
Examples
He is very insincere, you cannot trust anything he says.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin usage of 俳, which is often associated with literary terms like 俳優. In Cantonese, it is almost exclusively used as an adjective for personality traits.
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.
