bou2 hou6寶號宝号
Jyutpingbou2 hou6
Yalebóu houh
Definition
A polite way to refer to someone else's company or store name.
- your company; your shop name
- slangthe triad society that one belongs to
colloquialwork
How it's used
Reserved for formal business correspondence or polite inquiries when addressing a business entity. It functions as an honorific, similar to how 貴姓 is used to ask for a person's surname. Using it in casual conversation with friends or peers will sound overly stiff or sarcastic.
Examples
May I ask what the name of your company is?
May I ask where your company is opening a branch?
Related words
Common phrases
your esteemed company
Common mistake
Do not use this to refer to your own company, as it is strictly an honorific for the person or business you are addressing. It is also not used to refer to a specific person's name, only the name of a shop or organization.
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.
