kei4亓
Jyutpingkei4
Yalekèih
Definition
An archaic variant of 其, used as a pronoun or possessive; also a surname.
- archaicher; his; its; their
- a surname
neutralpeople
How it's used
This character is almost exclusively used as a surname in modern Hong Kong. While it historically functions as a pronoun in classical Chinese, you will rarely encounter it outside of formal names or historical texts. If you see it in a daily context, it is almost certainly a person's family name.
Examples
Mr. Qi did not go to work today.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 佢, which is the standard Cantonese pronoun for he, she, or it. Learners often mistake the visual similarity of the two characters, but they are functionally unrelated in spoken Cantonese.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
