ceoi4 haai4除鞋
Jyutpingceoi4 haai4
Yalechèuih hàaih
Definition
To take off one's shoes.
colloquialdaily actionshome
How it's used
Using 除鞋 is a fundamental part of Hong Kong etiquette when visiting someone's home or entering certain traditional venues. It is a verb phrase that functions as a single unit, so you do not need to add extra particles between the two characters. It is strictly for footwear and should not be used for other items of clothing like shirts or hats.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use 脫, which is the formal or written equivalent found in Mandarin. While people will understand you, using 脫鞋 sounds unnatural and overly stiff in a casual Cantonese conversation.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
