tai3 sei2 gwai2替死鬼

Jyutpingtai3 sei2 gwai2

Yaletai séi gwái

名詞Uncommon

Definition

Scapegoat; a substitute victim who takes the blame or suffers in place of others.

colloquialpeople

How it's used

Carries a strong sense of injustice, implying that the person is being used to shield the real culprit from consequences. It is frequently used in workplace or political contexts where someone is sacrificed to protect a superior's reputation.

Measure word

zek3隻jek

Examples

keoi5佢gan1根bun2本zau6就hai6係lou5老baan2闆wan2搵faan1返lai4嚟ge3嘅tai3替sei2死gwai2鬼。

He is basically just a scapegoat the boss found.

nei5你m4唔hou2好zou6做tai3替sei2死gwai2鬼bong1幫jan4人me1孭wok6鑊aa4呀。

Don't be a scapegoat and take the blame for others.

Common phrases

wan2搵tai3替sei2死gwai2鬼

to look for a scapegoat

zou6做tai3替sei2死gwai2鬼

to act as a scapegoat

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a literal ghost, but it is strictly a metaphorical term for a person. While the character 鬼 is used, it does not refer to a supernatural entity in this context.