hei3 tai2氣體气体
Jyutpinghei3 tai2
Yalehei tái
Definition
Gas; one of the four basic states of matter.
neutralother
How it's used
Scientific and technical contexts are where this term primarily lives, as it is a direct translation of the state of matter. In casual daily life, people rarely use this word unless they are specifically discussing chemistry, physics, or safety hazards like gas leaks. For household gas, speakers almost always prefer specific terms like 煤氣 or 石油氣.
Measure word
zung3種jungExamples
Do you know if this kind of gas is toxic?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to refer to flatulence, as that is specifically called 屁 in Cantonese. Using 氣體 to describe bodily gas will sound overly clinical and unnatural.
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.
