gung1公
Jyutpinggung1
Yalegūng
Definition
Male of an animal.
colloquialanimals
How it's used
This term is the standard way to denote male animals in Cantonese, functioning as a suffix or a standalone adjective. It contrasts directly with 乸, which is used for female animals. While it can be used for people in very specific, often derogatory or informal contexts, it is almost exclusively reserved for the animal kingdom in daily speech.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this word to describe human males, as it sounds dehumanizing or rude. Use 男 instead for people.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
