Made-up vocabulary only known to locals, words that consist of a mix of both English and Chinese, and double-entendres that make absolutely no sense – these are just a few of the things that make Cantonese one of the hardest languages to learn. So, we thought it was about time we gave you folks a quick lesson on some funny terminology, common phrases, and the latest Internet slang. We guarantee it will score you a few extra points with the locals!
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Jump the Fuse | "Tiu Saai Zai"
Fed up of rude people walking into you on the street? Or is your annoying colleague getting on your nerves? Then "Tiu Saai Zai" is the perfect phrase to describe your frustration. Directly translated as "jump the fuse", the expression is used by many locals when they've simply had enough, and are about to blow up with rage – similar to how a fuse or circuit may blow when it exceeds capacity.
Example: "An old lady bumped into me, spilled coffee all over my new dress, and shouted at me to be careful – I'm so Tai Saai Zai right now!"
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