coi4 liu2材料
Jyutpingcoi4 liu2
Yalechòih líu
Definition
Material or ingredients.
- materials for making or building something
- ingredients for food or cooking
neutralfooddaily actions
How it's used
Refers broadly to both culinary ingredients and raw materials for construction or crafts. When discussing cooking, it is interchangeable with 餸料 or 餡料 depending on the specific dish. It carries a slightly more formal tone than the everyday term 嘢, so it is often used in instructional or professional contexts.
Measure word
di1啲dīExamples
What ingredients do I need to prepare for this dish?
He bought a lot of materials for making models back home.
Related words
Common phrases
prepare materials or ingredients
sufficient materials
Common mistake
Avoid using it to refer to a person's character or potential, as the Mandarin usage of 材料 in that sense is not standard in Cantonese. For describing someone's suitability for a task, use 料 instead, such as 佢係做生意嘅料.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- NegationHow to say no, not, didn't, and don't in Cantonese. The four main negation words and when to use each one.
- Numbers and moneyCounting, talking about money, and asking how much things cost. Includes the two words for two and the everyday words for dollars and cents.
- 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.
