do1 sou3 jan4多數人多数人
Jyutpingdo1 sou3 jan4
Yaledō sou yàhn
Definition
Most people; the majority of people.
colloquialpeople
How it's used
Use this phrase to refer to the majority of a group in a general sense. Unlike formal written Chinese, it is perfectly acceptable in casual speech to express a consensus or common opinion. It often functions as the subject of a sentence when describing trends or habits.
Examples
Most people think this restaurant is delicious.
Common mistake
Avoid using this to mean 'many people' as it specifically implies a majority rather than just a large quantity. For a larger, less specific group, use 好多人 instead.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
