toi4 gaai1臺階台阶

Jyutpingtoi4 gaai1

Yaletòih gāai

名詞

Definition

Steps of a staircase, or a figurative opportunity for reconciliation or saving face.

steps of a staircase
figurativeroom or opportunity for reconciliation, compromise, or saving face

colloquialothercommunication

How it's used

While 臺階 literally refers to a physical step, it is most frequently used in the figurative sense of providing someone with a graceful exit from an awkward or confrontational situation. It functions similarly to the concept of saving face, where one party offers a compromise or a soft excuse to allow the other to back down without feeling humiliated. You will often hear it paired with the verb 落, meaning to descend or to take the offered exit.

Measure word

go3個go

Examples

keoi5佢hou2好ci5似mou5冇mat1乜toi4臺gaai1階lok6落，gaam3尷gaai3尬dou3到min6面dou1都hung4紅saai3晒。

He seems to have no way out of the situation, he is so embarrassed his face turned red.

nei5你bei3畀go3個toi4臺gaai1階keoi5佢lok6落laa1啦，daai6大gaa1家ci2始zung1終hai6係pang4朋jau5友。

Give him a way to save face, you guys are friends after all.

Common phrases

bei3畀go3個toi4臺gaai1階

to provide a way out

lok6落toi4臺gaai1階

to take an exit or excuse

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with the physical stairs in a building, which are almost always referred to as 樓梯 or 梯級 in daily Cantonese. Using 臺階 to describe a flight of stairs will sound formal or literary to a native speaker.