gun1 fu2官府
Jyutpinggun1 fu2
Yalegūn fú
Definition
Governmental office; a place where officials conduct public business.
colloquialplacesother
How it's used
Refers to government offices or authorities in a slightly old-fashioned or dramatic tone. It is rarely used in modern professional settings to describe contemporary government departments, which are usually referred to as 政府部門. Using it in casual conversation often carries a hint of irony or implies a sense of bureaucracy and distance from the common person.
Measure word
gaan1間gānExamples
He always has to go to the government office to handle documents.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to refer to modern government buildings or specific departments, as it sounds archaic or like something out of a period drama. Use 政府部門 or 辦公室 instead for everyday administrative contexts.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
