daa2 dik1打的
Jyutpingdaa2 dik1
Yaledá dīk
Definition
To take a taxi or hail a cab.
colloquialtransport
How it's used
Although this term is widely understood in Hong Kong due to the influence of mainland Chinese media, local speakers almost exclusively use 搭的士 or 截的士. Using 打的 in daily conversation will immediately mark you as a non-local speaker. It is a classic example of a term that is perfectly standard in Mandarin but sounds foreign in a Cantonese context.
Examples
It is hard to get a taxi here, why not take the MTR instead?
If you are in a rush, just take a taxi home.
Related words
Common phrases
take a taxi home
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use this term because they have encountered it in Mandarin learning materials, but it is not part of the natural Cantonese lexicon.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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).
