zok3 gwaai3作怪
Jyutpingzok3 gwaai3
Yalejok gwaai
Definition
To play tricks and make trouble, or to influence someone's actions.
- to play tricks, act up, or make mischief
- to influence or affect someone's actions
colloquialdaily actionsdescriptions
How it's used
Beyond describing mischievous behavior, this term is frequently used to personify inanimate objects or abstract concepts that cause unexpected problems. It carries a slightly playful or exasperated tone, suggesting that the subject is acting in a way that defies normal expectations. When used with abstract nouns like 錢 or 天氣, it implies that these forces are actively influencing or sabotaging a situation.
Examples
You are playing tricks again, making the whole room a mess.
Is it the weather acting up, making me feel dizzy?
Related words
Common phrases
money is the root cause of the trouble
the weather is acting up
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 搞事, which implies more serious or malicious trouble-making. 作怪 often carries a nuance of something being 'off' or acting strangely, rather than just being intentionally disruptive.
Grammar color guide
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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.
