ji6 hei3義氣义气
Jyutpingji6 hei3
Yaleyih hei
Definition
Loyalty to friends; a sense of honor, righteousness, and selfless devotion among peers.
colloquialpeopleemotion
How it's used
義氣 is deeply tied to the concept of brotherhood and mutual support, often implying a willingness to sacrifice one's own interests for a friend. It is frequently used to praise someone who stands by their peers during difficult times, especially when others might choose to walk away. The term carries a strong moral weight and is central to the social code of friendship in local culture.
Examples
He is truly loyal for helping his friend out.
How could you betray your brothers like that, do you have any sense of loyalty at all?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with simple kindness or politeness. It specifically refers to loyalty and standing up for someone in a way that often involves personal cost or risk, rather than just being nice or helpful in a casual sense.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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).
