gau6 tai2 zi6舊體字旧体字
Jyutpinggau6 tai2 zi6
Yalegauh tái jih
Definition
Traditional Chinese characters, as opposed to simplified characters.
neutralcommunication
How it's used
People in Hong Kong almost exclusively refer to traditional characters as 繁體字 in everyday conversation. Using 舊體字 can sound slightly academic or imply that the characters are archaic or obsolete, rather than just the standard writing system used in the city.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
This book is written entirely in traditional characters.
Related words
Common phrases
recognize traditional characters
Common mistake
Avoid using 舊體字 to mean the standard traditional characters taught in schools, as it may be interpreted as referring to historical, non-standard, or variant forms of characters.
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.
