cing2拯
Jyutpingcing2
Yalechíng
Definition
To save a person's life or rescue them from danger.
writtenpeopleother
How it's used
拯 is a formal morpheme that almost never appears alone in modern spoken Cantonese. It is primarily encountered as part of compound words like 拯救 or 拯命. Using it as a standalone verb in casual conversation sounds highly literary or archaic, as native speakers would prefer using 救 or 幫手 instead.
Examples
He was very brave and jumped into the water immediately to save someone.
The situation is so critical, who can save him?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use 拯 as a direct substitute for 救 in everyday speech, as it will sound like you are reciting classical poetry or reading a formal news report. Stick to 救 for all common rescue scenarios.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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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).
