zaau2 ngaa4爪牙
Jyutpingzaau2 ngaa4
Yalejáau ngàh
Definition
Underlings, henchmen, or accomplices of a criminal or bad person.
colloquialpeople
How it's used
Refers specifically to people who carry out the dirty work for a villain or a powerful corrupt figure. While the literal meaning is talons and fangs, it is almost exclusively used in a derogatory sense to describe henchmen or lackeys. It carries a strong connotation of blind obedience and moral complicity.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
That whole bunch of underlings is causing trouble there.
Why do you want to be an underling for that boss?
Related words
Common phrases
underlings are everywhere
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe a literal animal's claws or teeth, as that would be confusing and unnatural. Use 爪 or 牙 instead for biological contexts.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
