zi1 gaai2肢解
Jyutpingzi1 gaai2
Yalejī gáai
Definition
To dismember; to cut a body into pieces.
colloquialdaily actions
How it's used
While primarily used in criminal contexts to describe the gruesome act of cutting up a corpse, it is frequently used metaphorically in daily life. You will often hear it applied to inanimate objects like toys, electronics, or complex projects to describe taking them apart piece by piece. It carries a sense of violent or thorough destruction rather than careful disassembly.
Examples
He actually dismembered the doll.
Why did you dismember this model?
Related words
Common phrases
dismember a corpse
Common mistake
Do not use this word for taking apart a machine or furniture for repair, as it implies a destructive or morbid act. Use 拆開 instead for neutral or constructive disassembly.
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.
