baat3 go3 zi6八個字八个字
Jyutpingbaat3 go3 zi6
Yalebaat go jih
Definition
Eight characters, or forty minutes in telling the time.
- eight characters
- forty minutes (eight intervals of five minutes on a clock face)
colloquialnumberscommunication
How it's used
Refers specifically to the count of Chinese characters in a phrase or written text. It is frequently used to describe the length of a slogan, a motto, or a short message. When people ask for a summary in eight characters, they are often looking for a concise, punchy phrase that captures the essence of a situation.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the colloquial time-telling expression 八個字, which means forty minutes. In the context of time, each 字 represents five minutes, so eight units equals forty minutes.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
