gung1 mou6公務公务
Jyutpinggung1 mou6
Yalegūng mouh
Definition
Public affairs, official business, or the duties of a public servant.
neutralwork
How it's used
Refers specifically to official duties or tasks performed by government employees or within a public organization. While it sounds formal, it is frequently used in professional settings to explain why someone is unavailable or needs to travel. It carries a sense of professional obligation that distinguishes it from general work or personal errands.
Measure word
fan2份fánExamples
He has a lot of public affairs to handle today.
Are you leaving so early because of official business?
Related words
Common phrases
tied up with official business
handle official business
Common mistake
Avoid using this for private business or personal errands, as it strictly implies official or government related duties. Using it for a regular office job in the private sector can sound slightly pretentious or inaccurate.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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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).
