gung1 zai2公仔
Jyutpinggung1 zai2
Yalegūng jái
Definition
A doll, figurine, or toy in the shape of a person or animal; also a casual, cartoonish drawing or illustration.
- a doll, figurine, or toy shaped like a person or animal
- a casual, cartoon-like drawing or illustration of a person or animal
colloquialpeopledaily actions
How it's used
Beyond referring to physical dolls or stuffed animals, this term is frequently used to describe cartoonish or stylized drawings of people. It often implies a sense of cuteness or simplicity, contrasting with more realistic or artistic depictions. In some contexts, it can even refer to the characters printed on clothing or stationery.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
She really likes to hug her stuffed toy to sleep.
This doll is so cute, where did you buy it?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin term 玩偶 or 娃娃. While those are understood, Cantonese speakers almost exclusively use 公仔 for toys of this nature, and using other terms can sound unnatural or overly formal.
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).
