bat1 leon6不吝
Jyutpingbat1 leon6
Yalebāt leuhn
Definition
Used to politely ask someone to be generous in helping or doing a favor for you.
writtencommunicationpeople
How it's used
This term is inherently formal and carries a literary weight that makes it sound quite sophisticated in spoken Cantonese. It is almost exclusively used in set phrases like 不吝賜教 when asking for guidance or feedback from someone of higher status or expertise. Using it in casual conversation can sound overly dramatic or ironic unless you are intentionally being very polite.
Examples
Please be generous with your advice and tell me how to do better.
I hope you won't be stingy and will help me get this thing done.
Related words
Common phrases
Please favor me with your advice
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a general word for generous, but it is strictly a negative construction meaning not to be stingy with an action or resource. It is rarely used outside of fixed idiomatic expressions.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
