caai2 bing1踩冰
Jyutpingcaai2 bing1
Yalecháai bīng
Definition
To ice skate; to go ice skating.
colloquialsportsdaily actions
How it's used
Refers specifically to the act of moving across an icy surface, whether for recreation or out of necessity. While it literally translates to stepping on ice, it is the standard way to describe ice skating in a casual context. It carries a slightly more descriptive or physical nuance than the loanword 溜冰.
Examples
The ice here is very thin; ice skating is very dangerous.
Did you go ice skating at the rink when you were a kid?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with walking on thin ice in a metaphorical sense, which is not a standard idiom in Cantonese. It is strictly used for the physical act of being on ice.
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.
