Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 癡線 / 痴线 | ci¹ sin³ |
| 癲 / 癫 | din¹ |
癡線 / 痴线 is a colloquial way to describe someone acting silly, nonsensical or behaving in a way that is 'out of line'. In contrast, 癲 / 癫 is a stronger term used to say someone is 'crazy' or 'mad', often implying actual mental instability or extreme, uncontrolled behavior. You can also use 瘋咗 informally to say someone has gone crazy or become insane.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 癡線 / 痴线 literally translates to 'crazy line' or 'broken line', serving as a metaphor for someone whose thoughts or behavior no longer follow a straight, logical path.
Which one should you use?
While both are colloquial, 癡線 / 痴线 is typically used for someone acting nonsensically or out of line, whereas 癲 / 癫 is a more direct and stronger way to describe someone as truly mad or insane.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use 癡線 / 痴线 as a common exclamation to react to someone's absurd or ridiculous behavior, you can add the particle '呀' to the end, forming 痴线呀！ (meaning 'You're crazy!').
How do you pronounce it?
癡線 / 痴线 is pronounced ci¹ sin³.
Did you know?
- The phrase 痴线 is a linguistic evolution from a term meaning 'short circuit'. It describes a mental break as if a wire in the brain has snapped or disconnected.
- The character 痴 in 痴线 also appears in the word 痴心, which describes someone who is 'infatuated' or 'foolishly in love'.
- In modern Hong Kong slang, calling someone 痴线 can be a sign of endearment or admiration for a daring feat, similar to saying someone is 'insane' in English.
Examples in context
- 你見過咁癲嘅人未？(Leih gin gwoh gām dīn ge yàhn méih?)Have you ever seen such a crazy person?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “crazy” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
