gaai1 soeng6街上
Jyutpinggaai1 soeng6
Yalegāai seuhng
Definition
On the street; out in public.
neutralplaces
How it's used
Native speakers rarely use 街上 in casual conversation, preferring the more natural 喺街度 or 喺街上面. Using 街上 can sound slightly formal or literary, as if you are reading from a book or writing a formal report. In everyday speech, 喺街 is the standard way to express being out and about.
Examples
He saw an old classmate on the street.
Are you on the street right now?
Related words
Common phrases
walking on the street
Common mistake
Learners often use 街上 because it mirrors the Mandarin structure, but it sounds stiff in spoken Cantonese. Always opt for 喺街度 when talking to friends or family to sound more authentic.
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.
