ji5 jyu5耳語耳语
Jyutpingji5 jyu5
Yaleyíh yúh
Definition
To whisper in someone's ear.
neutralcommunicationpeople
How it's used
耳語 carries a slightly formal or literary tone compared to the more common spoken expression 講悄悄話. It is often used in contexts involving secrecy, suspicion, or conspiracy, implying that the information being shared is not meant for public ears.
Examples
They are whispering to each other, I wonder what they are saying.
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a noun, but it functions primarily as a verb in Cantonese. If you want to describe the act of whispering as a noun, it is more natural to use 講悄悄話.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
