ji6 mou6義務义务
Jyutpingji6 mou6
Yaleyih mouh
Definition
Voluntary or obligatory; doing something without expecting a reward.
- voluntary; doing work without expecting pay
- duty; obligation; compulsory responsibility
neutralpeoplework
How it's used
Often used to describe work done without pay, this term carries a sense of social responsibility or civic duty. It is frequently paired with nouns like 工作 or 服務 to specify the nature of the unpaid contribution. Unlike casual helping out, it implies a more formal or structured commitment to a cause or organization.
Examples
He goes to do volunteer work every week.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe casual favors for friends, as it typically implies a formal or organized volunteer role. For helping a friend out, use 幫手 instead.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
