hau6 ming6候命
Jyutpinghau6 ming6
Yalehauh mihng
Definition
To stand by or be on call, waiting for orders or instructions.
neutralwork
How it's used
This term carries a professional or formal undertone despite being used in daily life. It is frequently applied to emergency services, medical staff, or technical support roles where one must be ready to act immediately upon notification. Unlike simply waiting, it implies a state of active readiness where you are restricted from other activities.
Examples
He has to be on-call tonight, so he cannot go out.
Are you ready? You need to be on standby at any time.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with waiting for a person, but it specifically refers to waiting for an instruction or a task to be assigned. It is not used for waiting in a queue or waiting for a friend to arrive.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
