gung1 ci3公廁公厕
Jyutpinggung1 ci3
Yalegūng chi
Definition
Public toilet; public restroom.
colloquialplaces
How it's used
Refers specifically to government managed facilities rather than restrooms inside private businesses like restaurants or malls. When asking for directions in a shopping center, locals prefer asking for 洗手間 or 廁所 instead to sound more polite. Using this term for a private facility can sound blunt or slightly disparaging.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Is there a public toilet nearby?
This public toilet is so dirty, I dare not go inside.
Related words
Common phrases
to look for a public toilet
Common mistake
Avoid using this to ask for a restroom in a private establishment, as it implies the facility is a public, state-run one which might sound rude or confusing to staff.
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).
