waat6 kai1滑稽
Jyutpingwaat6 kai1
Yalewaaht kāi
Definition
Funny, humorous, or amusing.
neutraldescriptions
How it's used
滑稽 carries a nuance of being absurd, ridiculous, or clownish rather than just lighthearted or amusing. It is often used to describe someone or something that provokes laughter because they look silly or act in an exaggerated, awkward way. While it can mean funny, it is less common in casual speech than 好笑 or 得意.
Examples
He is acting silly and looks really funny.
Do you find this joke funny or not?
Related words
Common phrases
funny movements
funny facial expression
Common mistake
Learners often use 滑稽 to describe a person who is charming or cute, but it is not a compliment in that sense. It specifically points to something that is laughable or bizarre, so using it to describe a person's personality can sound like you are calling them a clown.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
