ding6 hai6定係定系
Jyutpingding6 hai6
Yaledihng haih
Definition
Or; used to connect options in a question.
colloquialcommunicationdaily actions
How it's used
Use this exclusively for questions where you are presenting two or more distinct choices to the listener. It functions as a stronger, more explicit version of the simple or. While you can sometimes drop the 係 and just use 定, keeping the full form adds a sense of deliberation or emphasis on the decision being made.
Examples
Are you going for dim sum or going shopping tomorrow?
Related words
Common phrases
is it X or is it Y
Common mistake
Do not use this in declarative sentences to mean or. In statements, use 或者 instead to indicate an alternative or a possibility.
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.
