bing1乒
Jyutpingbing1
Yalebīng
Definition
Onomatopoeia for a ping or sharp metallic sound, or used in reference to table tennis.
- onomatopoeia for a ping, clack, or sharp metallic sound
- shorthand for table tennis (ping pong)
colloquialsports
How it's used
The character 乒 is almost exclusively used as part of the compound 乒乓 to represent the sound of a ball bouncing. It does not function as a standalone word in modern Cantonese outside of this specific context. You will rarely see it written by itself unless it is part of a list or a specific graphic design.
Examples
He really likes playing table tennis.
Related words
Common phrases
to play table tennis
Common mistake
Learners often try to use 乒 or 乓 individually to describe other sounds, but they are strictly bound together in this specific term. Using them separately will sound completely nonsensical to a native speaker.
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.
