jan4 zi3人質人质
Jyutpingjan4 zi3
Yaleyàhn ji
Definition
Hostage; a person held by an offender to force a target to comply with demands.
neutralpeople
How it's used
Focuses specifically on the role of a person being held against their will to exert leverage in a criminal or political standoff. Unlike general terms for victims, it implies a strategic use of the person as a bargaining chip. It is commonly paired with verbs like 捉 or 挾持 to describe the act of taking someone captive.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
The criminal took a kid as a hostage.
Related words
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- NegationHow to say no, not, didn't, and don't in Cantonese. The four main negation words and when to use each one.
- Numbers and moneyCounting, talking about money, and asking how much things cost. Includes the two words for two and the everyday words for dollars and cents.
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
