coi2睬
Jyutpingcoi2
Yalechói
Definition
To pay attention to, acknowledge, or respond to someone.
colloquialpeoplecommunication
How it's used
Focuses on the act of acknowledging someone's presence or speech, often used in the negative to express being ignored or snubbed. It carries a slightly more personal or emotional weight than the more neutral 理, as it specifically highlights the lack of social interaction or response.
Examples
He never pays attention to me, it is so rude.
Related words
Common phrases
to give someone the cold shoulder
Common mistake
Learners often confuse it with 理, but 睬 is almost exclusively used in negative constructions like 唔睬 or 睬都唔睬 to emphasize a deliberate refusal to engage with someone.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
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.
