waai2崴
Jyutpingwaai2
Yalewáai
Definition
To sprain one's ankle, or to describe a precipitous path or river bend.
- to sprain one's ankle
- literaryprecipitous; rugged
- literarya bend in a river
colloquialbodyhealth
How it's used
Spoken Cantonese almost exclusively uses this term in the context of spraining a joint, particularly the ankle. It is frequently paired with the particle 親 to indicate the accidental result of an action. While it can technically refer to steep terrain in formal writing, you will rarely hear it used that way in daily conversation.
Examples
I wasn't careful while walking and sprained my ankle.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the Mandarin pronunciation or usage. In Hong Kong, it is specifically pronounced as a colloquial variant for spraining a body part, and using it to describe a river bend or steep mountain will likely confuse native speakers.
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.
