bui3 nong4背囊
Jyutpingbui3 nong4
Yalebui nòhng
Definition
Backpack or rucksack.
colloquialclothingtransport
How it's used
The verb used with this noun is almost exclusively 孭, which specifically refers to carrying something on one's back. Using 攞 or 拎 with a backpack sounds unnatural to native speakers. It is common to see public service announcements in Hong Kong advising commuters to move their backpacks to their front or hold them by hand to save space in crowded carriages.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Remember to wear your backpack on your front when taking the MTR.
Related words
Common phrases
to carry a backpack
Common mistake
Learners often use the Mandarin verb 背 to describe wearing a backpack, but in Cantonese, this character is usually reserved for the noun form or the action of reciting something by heart. Always use 孭 for the physical act of carrying a bag on your back.
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.
