cai1 zi2妻子
Jyutpingcai1 zi2
Yalechāi jí
Definition
Wife; a man's formal female spouse.
writtenfamilypeople
How it's used
Refers specifically to a legal spouse and carries a formal, respectful tone. In everyday casual conversation, people almost exclusively use 老婆 instead of 妻子. Using 妻子 in a relaxed setting can sound overly stiff, academic, or like something lifted directly from a news report or a legal document.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
He brought his wife to the banquet tonight.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often use 妻子 in casual settings where 老婆 is the natural choice. Reserve 妻子 for formal introductions, official documents, or when speaking about someone else's spouse with a high degree of formality.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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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.
