bit6 jan4別人别人
Jyutpingbit6 jan4
Yalebiht yàhn
Definition
Other people; others; somebody else.
colloquialpeople
How it's used
Native speakers almost exclusively use 人哋 instead of 別人 in daily conversation. Using 別人 can sound overly formal, literary, or like a direct translation from written Chinese. It is best reserved for formal writing or specific contexts where a more detached tone is required.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often use 別人 because it appears in textbooks, but it sounds unnatural in spoken Cantonese. Always prefer 人哋 to sound like a local.
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.
