ji6 gung1義工义工
Jyutpingji6 gung1
Yaleyih gūng
Definition
Volunteer; a person who performs voluntary work without financial reward to help others.
colloquialpeoplework
How it's used
Refers specifically to the person performing the service, whereas the act of volunteering is often described as 做義工. It carries a positive connotation of social responsibility and community contribution. Unlike formal settings where one might use 志願者, 義工 is the standard term used in all daily contexts in Hong Kong.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
He goes to the nursing home to volunteer every week.
Do you want to sign up to be a volunteer this summer vacation?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse this with 志願者, which is more common in Mainland China. In Hong Kong, 義工 is the natural, everyday choice for anyone doing unpaid community work.
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.
