dau3 gaa1 si1鬥家私斗家私
Jyutpingdau3 gaa1 si1
Yaledau gā sī
Definition
To make or assemble furniture.
colloquialhomework
How it's used
Refers specifically to the traditional craft of joinery and furniture making, often implying a high level of manual skill. It is increasingly rare in modern urban Hong Kong, where most furniture is mass produced or modular, so it carries a slightly nostalgic or old fashioned tone.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the general verb 整, which is used for simple repairs or assembly. Using 鬥家私 for assembling flat pack furniture from a store like IKEA sounds unnatural as it implies the artisan process of cutting and joining wood from scratch.
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.
