haa6 ling6下令
Jyutpinghaa6 ling6
Yalehah lihng
Definition
To issue orders or command someone to do something.
neutralworkcommunication
How it's used
This term carries a formal, authoritative weight that implies a hierarchical relationship between the speaker and the recipient. It is typically reserved for official, military, or high-level corporate contexts rather than casual requests between friends or family members. Using it in a lighthearted setting can sound overly dramatic or sarcastic.
Examples
The boss ordered that the report must be finished tonight.
He ordered the whole street to be blocked off, preventing anyone from entering.
Related words
Common phrases
order a lockdown or blockade
order an evacuation
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a casual way to tell someone to do something. In daily life, use 叫 or 吩咐 instead, as 下令 implies a formal command that carries legal or organizational consequences.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
