ceoi4 zai2鎚仔锤仔
Jyutpingceoi4 zai2
Yalechèuih jái
Definition
Hammer; specifically a relatively small one that can be held and used with one hand.
colloquialhomedaily actions
How it's used
Refers specifically to a hand tool, distinguishing it from larger industrial machinery or heavy-duty equipment. While the character 鎚 can represent the tool in formal writing, adding the suffix 仔 is essential in spoken Cantonese to denote the smaller, household-sized version. It is the standard term for the tool you would keep in a home toolbox for minor repairs.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Can you bring the hammer over to me?
He used a hammer to drive a few nails into the wooden board.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 鎚頭, which refers specifically to the heavy metal head of the hammer rather than the entire tool. Using 鎚頭 when you mean the whole object sounds unnatural to native speakers.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
