jing1央
Jyutpingjing1
Yaleyīng
Definition
The center or middle; to plead or beg.
- center; middle; central
- to plead; to beg; to entreat
neutraldescriptions
How it's used
While 央 functions as a morpheme for centre in compounds like 中央, it carries a distinct secondary meaning of pleading or begging when used as a verb. This usage is more formal or literary compared to everyday words like 乞求 or 哀求. It often appears in contexts involving urgent requests or formal appeals.
Examples
He is standing in the centre, very conspicuous.
Can you plead with him to help?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse the spatial meaning of centre with the act of pleading. Ensure you distinguish between these two roles, as 央 is rarely used as a standalone word in spoken Cantonese to mean middle; instead, use 中間.
Grammar color guide
Noun
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Adjective
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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).
