duk6 zi2獨子独子
Jyutpingduk6 zi2
Yaleduhk jí
Definition
An only son.
colloquialfamilypeople
How it's used
Refers specifically to a male child who has no brothers or sisters. While it technically means an only son, it is often used in casual conversation to highlight someone's status as the sole male heir or the only child in a family unit. It carries a slight nuance of being the focus of parental attention or expectations.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
He is the only son in the family, his family dotes on him.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 獨生子, which is more common in formal or written contexts to mean an only child regardless of gender, though 獨子 specifically emphasizes the male gender.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
