bat1 daai6 bat1 siu2不大不小
Jyutpingbat1 daai6 bat1 siu2
Yalebāt daaih bāt síu
Definition
Neither big nor small; just the right size.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
Cantonese speakers almost exclusively use the spoken form 唔大唔細 instead of the written form 不大不小. It is frequently used to describe objects that are of a moderate or standard size, often implying that the item is a perfect fit for a specific purpose. It carries a neutral, practical tone rather than a literary one.
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use the written form 不大不小 in casual conversation, which sounds unnatural and overly formal to native speakers. Always use 唔大唔細 when speaking.
Grammar color guide
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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).
