baak3 sing3百姓
Jyutpingbaak3 sing3
Yalebaak sing
Definition
Ordinary people; commoners; the general public.
neutralpeople
How it's used
Carries a slightly formal or historical tone, often used when discussing government policy or social conditions. It evokes a sense of the collective masses rather than referring to specific individuals or friends. You will frequently encounter it in news reports or when criticizing the impact of political decisions on everyday citizens.
Examples
What impact does this policy have on the common people?
The government should care more about the lives of ordinary people.
Related words
Common phrases
lives of the common people
the people have no way to make a living
Common mistake
Avoid using this to refer to your own friends or specific groups of people you know personally. It is a collective noun for the general population and sounds unnatural if applied to a small, specific gathering.
Grammar color guide
Noun
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Adjective
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Classifier
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
