01
佢
keoi5
He / she / it
佢 (keoi5) is the third-person pronoun: he, she, or it.
STREET CANTONESE / 11
The everyday expressionCasual · Sports & skills
On the basketball court
水皮
seoi2 pei4
An easy shot.
Another miss.
Poor skill level or incompetent.
Literal meaning“Water skin”
Used to describe someone who is not very good at something.
佢打波好水皮。keoi5 daa2 bo1 hou2 seoi2 pei4.He is very bad at playing ball.✦Hear it in context
A rough game on the court
佢打波好水皮。
keoi5 daa2 bo1 hou2 seoi2 pei4.
“To have no game.”
Translation: He is very bad at playing ball.
Another English equivalent: “To be mediocre” or “to be a total amateur.”
The setting
A group of people are playing basketball, and one player keeps missing easy shots and fumbling the ball, leading others to comment on their lack of skill.
Piece by piece
Unpack the expression
02
打波
daa2 bo1
To play ball
Usually refers to basketball, football, or tennis, depending on the context. In this example, the friends are playing basketball.
03
好
hou2
Very / quite
好 (hou2) means “very” or “quite” here. It emphasizes the person’s poor skill level.