daai6 fau6大埠
Jyutpingdaai6 fau6
Yaledaaih fauh
Definition
A large and major port or city.
colloquialplacestravel
How it's used
Historically, this term was used by overseas Chinese to refer specifically to San Francisco, but it has evolved to describe any major metropolitan city abroad. It carries a slightly nostalgic or old-fashioned tone, often used by older generations when discussing emigration. It is rarely used to describe local Hong Kong urban areas, focusing instead on the destination of someone moving overseas.
Examples
Their whole family immigrated to the big city.
When will you return to the big city to visit relatives?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with general terms for cities like 城市, as it specifically implies a significant, often distant, international hub. Using it to describe a small town or a local district will sound unnatural and confusing to native speakers.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
