waai6 waa2壞話坏话
Jyutpingwaai6 waa2
Yalewaaih wá
Definition
Vicious, malicious, or critical remarks about someone behind their back.
colloquialcommunicationpeople
How it's used
Focuses specifically on malicious intent or gossip meant to damage someone's reputation. While it functions as a noun, it is almost exclusively used as the object of the verb 講, forming the set phrase 講壞話. It carries a strong negative moral judgment, implying that the speaker is being petty or untrustworthy.
Examples
Don't go bad-mouthing people behind their backs.
He is always bad-mouthing me to others, it's so annoying.
Related words
Common phrases
to bad-mouth
to bad-mouth behind one's back
Common mistake
Avoid using it as a direct adjective to describe a person, as it refers to the speech itself rather than the character of the person speaking.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
