hoi1 zi1 saan3 jip6開枝散葉开枝散叶
Jyutpinghoi1 zi1 saan3 jip6
Yalehōi jī saan yihp
Definition
To have children and propagate the next generation to carry on the family line.
colloquialfamilypeople
How it's used
Carries a traditional and slightly formal nuance, often used by older generations to express the importance of continuing the family line. It is rarely used in casual conversation between friends unless one is making a joke about someone's reproductive plans. It implies a sense of duty or cultural expectation rather than just the biological act of giving birth.
Examples
They started a family soon after getting married.
The elders in the family love to nag people about having children.
Related words
Common phrases
the heavy responsibility of continuing the family line
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe the act of giving birth to a single child in a medical or casual context, as it specifically refers to the broader concept of expanding a family or lineage.
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.
