埋（不滿）

And All That Too

Level 5Sounds Like maai4

The particle 埋 (maai4) is often used to mean 'also' or 'as well.' However, when used with negative or trivial objects, it takes on a 'sour edge,' implying the speaker's disapproval that these things are being included at all.

How It Works

At an advanced level, it is important to distinguish between the neutral inclusive 埋 (maai4) and this pejorative usage. The pejorative shift is triggered not just by adding 啲 (di1), but specifically by the combination of 埋啲 (maai4 di1) followed by a negative, trivial, or inappropriate noun phrase.

  • Neutral vs. Disapproving: It is crucial to note that 埋啲 (maai4 di1) alone is not inherently negative. For example, 食埋啲飯 (sik6 maai4 di1 faan6 - eat the rest of the rice) is a neutral use of 埋 (maai4) meaning 'finish off the rest'. The disapproval only emerges when the noun dictates the tone, such as 食埋啲垃圾食物 (sik6 maai4 di1 laap6 saap3 sik6 mat6 - eating all this junk food).
  • The Structural Trigger: The disapproval is marked by pairing 埋 (maai4) with 啲 (di1) (plural/some) or 咁嘅 (gam3 ge3) (such/that kind of), followed by a noun phrase that the speaker views negatively. For example, 買埋啲無謂嘢 (maai5 maai4 di1 mou4 wai6 je5 - buying all these useless things).
  • Frequent Pairings: This pattern is often paired with the adverb 成日 (seng4 jat6 - always/all day) since it is a staple of complaining. Additionally, the noun phrase usually explicitly contains an adjective of triviality or negativity (e.g., 無謂 mou4 wai6 - useless, 無聊 mou4 liu4 - boring, 垃圾 laap6 saap3 - junk).
  • Volitional and Non-volitional Verbs: This pattern is highly versatile. It is not restricted to volitional verbs. While it is commonly used with volitional verbs to criticize someone's choices (e.g., 去埋啲咁嘅地方 heoi3 maai4 di1 gam3 ge3 dei6 fong1 - 'going to places like that'), it is also frequently used with non-volitional verbs to complain about bad luck or undesirable situations (e.g., 遇埋啲咁嘅人 jyu6 maai4 di1 gam3 ge3 jan4 - encountering such terrible people; 生埋晒啲暗瘡 saang1 maai4 saai3 di1 am3 cong1 - growing all these pimples).
  • The Intensified Variant: You will frequently encounter the form 埋晒啲 (maai4 saai3 di1). Here, 晒 (saai3) acts as an intensifier, emphasizing that the person is including 'absolutely all' of these undesirable things.
  • Register: This is highly colloquial and emotive. It is a staple of 'nagging' or social criticism in Cantonese.

Examples (5)

  1. 做乜買埋啲無謂嘢？

    Why do you keep buying all this useless stuff?

    Word by Word: Do what buy inclusive plural useless things?

    The pejorative tone is structurally triggered by pairing 埋 (maai4) with 啲 (di1) and 'useless things' (無謂嘢 mou4 wai6 je5).

  2. 佢成日睇埋啲無聊片。

    He's always watching all those mindless videos.

    Word by Word: He always watch inclusive plural mindless videos.

    Using 埋啲 (maai4 di1) here implies the speaker thinks the videos are a waste of time and he shouldn't be watching them.

  3. 你識埋啲咁嘅朋友，實教壞你。

    You've fallen in with such [bad] friends; they'll definitely lead you astray.

    Word by Word: You know inclusive plural such friends, definitely teach bad you.

    Here, the disapproval is triggered by 埋 (maai4) followed by 啲咁嘅 (di1 gam3 ge3, such kind of), showing strong judgment against the friends.

  4. 唔好成日食埋啲垃圾食物啦。

    Don't always eat all that junk food.

    Word by Word: Not good always eat inclusive plural junk food [particle].

    The combination of 埋啲 (maai4 di1) and 'junk food' criticizes the inclusion of these items in the person's diet.

  5. 佢成日講埋啲衰嘢。

    He's always saying all those nasty things.

    Word by Word: He always say inclusive plural bad things.

    講埋啲 (gong2 maai4 di1) suggests the person is including inappropriate or 'bad' (衰 seoi1) topics in their speech.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 埋 (maai4) when you mean ‘all of it’.

    Different Meaning佢食埋啲好嘢。
    佢食晒啲好嘢。

    佢食埋啲好嘢 is a good sentence, but it means ‘he ate the good things as well’, often with a feeling of annoyance. If you simply mean he ate all of it, use 晒 (saai3): 佢食晒啲好嘢.

  • Placing 埋 after the object.

    佢睇啲無聊片埋。
    佢睇埋啲無聊片。

    埋 (maai4) is a verbal particle and must be placed immediately after the verb, not at the end of the sentence or after the noun.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

埋（不滿）Level 5And All That Too

Learn This First

To understand the disapproving use of 埋, you first need to be comfortable with its primary function as a completive particle ('as well' or 'finishing the rest'). This specific usage often implies that the action includes things that shouldn't be included, often paired with the plural classifier '啲' to group these undesirable items together.

Words in This Pattern