cai1 ji4 lou5 siu2妻兒老小妻儿老小
Jyutpingcai1 ji4 lou5 siu2
Yalechāi yìh lóuh síu
Definition
The whole family, specifically one's wife, children, and parents.
colloquialfamilypeople
How it's used
This expression refers to one's entire household, specifically highlighting the responsibility of providing for dependents. It carries a slightly heavy or traditional tone, often used when discussing the burden of financial support or the logistics of traveling with a large group. While it literally lists wife and children, it is understood as a collective term for all family members under one's care.
Examples
He has to support his whole family, the pressure is huge.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a standard way to say family, but it is specifically used to emphasize the dependents one is responsible for. Do not use it to describe your own parents or siblings if you are not the primary provider for them.
Grammar color guide
Noun
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Adjective
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
