zok3 sei2作死
Jyutpingzok3 sei2
Yalejok séi
Definition
An expression used when someone does something foolish, reckless, or dangerous, meaning "are you looking for death?" or "do you want to die?".
colloquialemotionpeople
How it's used
Carries a strong sense of exasperation or disbelief at someone's reckless behavior. It functions as a rhetorical question or an exclamation rather than a literal threat of death. It is almost exclusively used among friends or peers and can sound quite aggressive if directed at a stranger or a superior.
Examples
Are you trying to get yourself killed crossing the road like that?
He actually dared to scold the boss, he's really asking for it!
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin usage of 作死, which often implies 'to court disaster' through one's own actions; in Cantonese, it is frequently used as a direct, punchy retort to someone else's foolishness.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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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.
