kei5 laap6企立
Jyutpingkei5 laap6
Yalekéih laahp
Definition
To stand upright.
colloquialdaily actionsbody
How it's used
While 企立 is understood, most Cantonese speakers simply use 企 to convey the act of standing. Using the two-character form often sounds slightly more formal or emphatic, similar to how one might use stand upright in English. It is frequently used when emphasizing the physical posture or the duration of standing rather than just the location.
Examples
What are you standing there for?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often over-formalize their speech by using two-character verbs where a single-character verb is more natural. In everyday conversation, just saying 企 is almost always sufficient and sounds more authentic than 企立.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Classifier
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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.
