bai6陛
Jyutpingbai6
Yalebaih
Definition
Steps of an imperial palace; by extension, used to refer to things related to the emperor.
writtenpeople
How it's used
This character is almost exclusively encountered in the compound 陛下, which serves as a formal honorific for an emperor. It functions as a bound morpheme rather than a standalone word in modern speech. Using it outside of historical contexts or period dramas will sound extremely archaic or performative.
Examples
You often hear people calling out 'Your Majesty' in period dramas.
Where exactly is His Majesty right now?
Related words
Common phrases
Your Majesty
Common mistake
Learners sometimes mistakenly use 陛下 as a direct address for any superior or boss, but it is strictly reserved for royalty in historical contexts. Using it in a modern office setting would be seen as bizarre or sarcastic.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
