gwok3 noi6國內国内
Jyutpinggwok3 noi6
Yalegwok noih
Definition
Domestic; within one's own country.
colloquialplaces
How it's used
Refers specifically to mainland China when used by speakers in Hong Kong. It carries a sense of distance or administrative distinction rather than a feeling of one's own home country. People often use it as a shorthand for the mainland instead of saying 中國.
Examples
He has been going back to the mainland for business quite often these past few years.
Do you think the tourist attractions in the mainland are fun?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this term to refer to Hong Kong itself, as it is almost exclusively used to point towards the mainland. If you want to refer to Hong Kong, use 本地 instead.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
