gung1 jyu4公餘公余
Jyutpinggung1 jyu4
Yalegūng yùh
Definition
Leisure time; time outside of working or office hours.
neutralworktime
How it's used
This term carries a slightly formal or professional tone, often appearing in company policies or formal descriptions of extracurricular activities. While it refers to time outside of work, it implies a sense of personal time that remains available for self-improvement or hobbies rather than just idle rest. It is less common in casual, everyday chat compared to phrases like 放工後 or 閒時.
Examples
He really likes to go hiking during his spare time.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a general term for any free time, but it specifically implies time after official work duties. Using it to describe being a student or a child on vacation sounds unnatural, as it is strictly tied to the context of employment.
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.
