sam1 waai4 gwai2 toi1心懷鬼胎心怀鬼胎
Jyutpingsam1 waai4 gwai2 toi1
Yalesām wàaih gwái tōi
Definition
To harbor evil intentions; to scheme or have ulterior motives secretly.
neutralpeopleemotion
How it's used
Describes someone harboring secret, malicious, or selfish intentions behind a facade of normalcy. It implies a sense of hidden agenda or moral corruption rather than just a simple bad mood. The phrase is often used to warn others about someone whose outward behavior does not match their internal motives.
Examples
He is always up to no good, you better be careful.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe someone who is simply having a bad day or feeling sad. It specifically implies active, calculated deceit or ill intent toward others.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
