jyu5 tai2 man4語體文语体文
Jyutpingjyu5 tai2 man4
Yaleyúh tái màhn
Definition
Written vernacular Chinese; Chinese written in the style of modern spoken language rather than classical Chinese.
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How it's used
Refers specifically to the modern written style that mirrors spoken language, contrasting with the classical 文言文. It is primarily used in academic or formal educational contexts when discussing literature or linguistics. In daily life, people rarely use this term, preferring to simply refer to written Chinese as 書面語.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
modern vernacular Chinese
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with general written Chinese. While it describes the style of modern prose, it is not a term used to describe the casual, spoken-style characters often seen in text messages or social media.
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.
