jan4 dou6人道
Jyutpingjan4 dou6
Yaleyàhn douh
Definition
Humane, ethical, or showing the positive aspects of humanity such as love and compassion.
neutralpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Focuses on the ethical treatment of living beings, often appearing in discussions about animal welfare or the treatment of prisoners. It carries a sense of moral obligation rather than just being nice or polite. You will frequently hear it used to critique systems or policies that are perceived as cruel or lacking basic empathy.
Examples
They treat small animals very humanely.
Is this way of doing things really that humane?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the noun 人道 which refers to the 'humanitarian' or 'humanity' aspect in a broader sense, as the adjective form specifically describes an action or a standard of treatment. It is not used to describe a person's personality directly.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
