jan4 gaa1人家
Jyutpingjan4 gaa1
Yaleyàhn gā
Definition
Household or family.
neutralfamilyplaces
How it's used
Refers specifically to a collective unit of people living together as a household rather than an individual person. It carries a slightly formal or literary tone compared to using 家人 or 屋企人, which focus on the individuals themselves. It is frequently used in contexts involving census, housing, or describing the scale of a community.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin usage of 人家, which often acts as a pronoun meaning 'I' or 'others'. In Cantonese, it strictly functions as a noun for a household or family unit.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- 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.
