cik1飭饬
Jyutpingcik1
Yalechīk
Definition
To order, command, or keep in order; neat and tidy.
- literaryto order; to command; to instruct
- literaryneat; orderly; to keep in order; to readjust
colloquialhomedaily actions
How it's used
Primarily used in the context of tidying up or putting things back into a proper state. It carries a sense of active effort to restore order to a chaotic space or situation. While it can imply giving an order in formal contexts, in daily speech it almost exclusively refers to organizing or cleaning.
Examples
Go and tidy up your room quickly.
The house is a total mess, I need to find time to tidy it up.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 執, which is the much more common and versatile word for tidying or cleaning up. Using 飭 can sound slightly more formal or old fashioned depending on the speaker's generation.
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.
