hat1 koi3乞丐
Jyutpinghat1 koi3
Yalehāt koi
Definition
A beggar; a person who lives by asking for money or food.
colloquialpeople
How it's used
乞兒 is the standard, everyday term used in spoken Cantonese to refer to a beggar. While 乞丐 is understood, it sounds significantly more formal or literary, often appearing in written descriptions or historical contexts rather than casual conversation. Using 乞兒 is the most natural way to describe someone begging for money or food on the street.
Measure word
go3個goRelated words
Common mistake
Avoid using 乞丐 in daily speech as it can sound overly dramatic or like you are reading from a book. Stick to 乞兒 for natural interaction.
Grammar color guide
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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).
