dak1 hang6德行
Jyutpingdak1 hang6
Yaledāk hahng
Definition
Morality; the quality of making proper judgments of right and wrong, and doing only what is right.
neutralpeopleother
How it's used
Refers specifically to a person's character and ethical conduct rather than abstract moral philosophy. It carries a slightly formal or moralistic tone, often used when evaluating whether someone is trustworthy or upright. While it can be used in daily conversation, it often appears in contexts discussing personal integrity or upbringing.
Examples
He has no morality and is always lying to people.
The most important thing in life is to have morality.
Related words
Common phrases
possessing both morality and ability
cultivating one's moral character
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin term 德行, which in some northern dialects can be used sarcastically to mean someone's 'disgraceful behavior' or 'attitude'. In Cantonese, it remains a neutral or positive term referring to moral character.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
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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.
