bing1 bam1 bo1乒乓波
Jyutpingbing1 bam1 bo1
Yalebīng bām bō
Definition
Table tennis; ping-pong, including both the sport and the ball itself.
- table tennis; the game of ping-pong
- ping-pong ball
colloquialsports
How it's used
The term specifically refers to the sport itself, while the ball used in the game is usually called a 乒乓波波 or simply 乒乓波. It is common to use the verb 打 before the noun to indicate playing the sport. Unlike some other sports, it is rarely shortened to just 乒乓 in casual speech.
Measure word
coeng4場chèunghExamples
Are you free to go play table tennis with me tomorrow?
He is very good at table tennis, I cannot beat him at all.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse the sport name with the ball itself, as context usually clarifies whether you are talking about the game or the physical object. Also, remember that the verb for playing this sport is always 打, never 玩.
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.
