gu3 sing4故城
Jyutpinggu3 sing4
Yalegu sìhng
Definition
An old, ruined, or historic city.
writtenplaces
How it's used
Refers specifically to a city with historical significance or ancient ruins rather than just an old neighborhood. It carries a literary or poetic tone, often used when describing historical sites or tourist destinations with a long past. In casual daily speech, people are much more likely to use 舊城 or 舊區 to describe older parts of a city.
Measure word
zo6座johExamples
This is a very famous old city.
When are you all going to visit that old city?
Related words
Common phrases
visit an old city
Common mistake
Learners often use this to describe a run-down or old-fashioned residential area, but it is too formal and grand for that purpose. Use 舊區 for ordinary old neighborhoods instead.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
