di1 jan4啲人
Jyutpingdi1 jan4
Yaledī yàhn
Definition
Some people, or a sarcastic way to refer to a specific unnamed person.
- some people; certain people
- slangsomeone; a specific person referred to sarcastically without naming them
- people in general; they; everyone
colloquialpeoplecommunication
How it's used
Using 啲人 to refer to a specific person is a common way to express annoyance or distance without explicitly naming the individual. It functions as a vague pronoun that shifts the focus from the identity of the person to their behavior. When used in a general sense, it acts like the English 'people' or 'they' to describe common social habits or collective actions.
Examples
People are always gossiping, it is so annoying.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake 啲人 for a direct translation of 'these people', but it is frequently used to mean 'some people' or even a singular 'someone' in a derogatory or dismissive context. Avoid using it when you want to be polite or specific, as it can sound accusatory.
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.
