seoi6祟
Jyutpingseoi6
Yaleseuih
Definition
Evil spirit or ghost; also relates to acting stealthily or making trouble.
- evil spirit; ghost; mischief
- stealthy; secretive
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
The character 祟 is almost exclusively used in the reduplicated form 鬼鬼祟祟 to describe someone acting in a suspicious, furtive, or underhanded manner. While the literal meaning relates to evil spirits or bad omens, in modern spoken Cantonese it has lost its supernatural connotation and focuses entirely on human behavior that suggests hidden motives or guilt.
Examples
He is always acting sneaky, I wonder what he is up to.
Why are you acting so sneaky and peeking over there?
Related words
Common phrases
sneaky or furtive
Common mistake
Do not use 祟 as a standalone verb to mean to sneak around. It must be paired with 鬼鬼 to function as the common adjective for sneaky behavior.
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.
