ding1丁
Jyutpingding1
Yaledīng
Definition
A person, especially a male, a male servant, or a manual laborer.
- person; people; population
- male servant; man doing physical labor or a specific trade
colloquialpeoplenumbers
How it's used
Refers specifically to individuals in a population or household, often with a focus on gender or headcount. It is largely restricted to set phrases like 添丁 or formal contexts regarding demographics, rather than being used as a general substitute for 人 in everyday speech.
Examples
Business here attracts many people but not much money.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this to mean a person in general conversation, as it sounds archaic or overly formal. It is almost exclusively used in fixed idioms or specific contexts like counting male family members.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- TonesCantonese has six tones, and the tones can change in certain grammatical contexts. Learn the six tones and the rules for tone change.
- Time and datesClock time, days of the week, months, and years. The patterns you need to make plans and talk about when things happen.
- Modal verbsHow to say can, will, may, should, must, and want. The core modal verbs of Cantonese and the differences that trip up beginners.
