bei2匕
Jyutpingbei2
Yalebéi
Definition
Dagger; a short knife used as a weapon.
writtenother
How it's used
匕 is almost exclusively used as a bound morpheme in modern Cantonese, appearing primarily in the compound 匕首. It is rarely used as a standalone noun in daily speech, where speakers prefer the more common term 短刀. The character also appears in formal idioms like 圖窮匕現, which carries a literary tone.
Measure word
baa2把báExamples
He hid a dagger inside the map.
The truth was finally revealed at the end of the play.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse 匕 with 匙, as they look similar but have completely different meanings; 匙 refers to a spoon, whereas 匕 refers to a dagger.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
