bei3秘
Jyutpingbei3
Yalebei
Definition
Secret, private, or confidential; not made public or known to many.
colloquialother
How it's used
This character functions primarily as a bound morpheme in Cantonese, appearing in compound words rather than as a standalone adjective. It carries a sense of exclusivity or hidden knowledge that is often associated with professional or personal privacy. When used in colloquial speech, it frequently appears in terms like 秘撈 to describe unofficial or hidden sources of income.
Examples
This matter is very secret, please do not tell anyone.
What secret side jobs do the two of them have?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the character 密, which also appears in words related to secrecy like 秘密. While 秘 focuses on the mysterious or hidden nature of something, 密 often emphasizes closeness, density, or the act of keeping things tight and secure.
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.
