jau5 di1有啲
Jyutpingjau5 di1
Yaleyáuh dī
Definition
A bit; slightly; some.
colloquialdescriptionsdaily actions
How it's used
Use this to soften an adjective or verb, functioning similarly to a little bit in English. It is extremely common in casual speech to express mild states or feelings, making your tone sound more natural and less blunt. When placed before a verb, it often implies a slight degree of an action or state, such as having a slight preference or feeling.
Examples
The weather is a bit cold today.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to mean a small quantity of a noun, as that requires the classifier or just 少少. For example, say 我有少少錢 instead of 我有啲錢 when referring to a small amount of money, as 有啲 can sound like you are being vague about the existence of something.
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.
