kiu4僑侨
Jyutpingkiu4
Yalekìuh
Definition
A person living abroad who retains the citizenship of their home country.
neutralpeople
How it's used
This character is almost exclusively found in formal compound nouns rather than used as a standalone noun in daily speech. It carries a sense of national identity and connection to one's homeland that distinguishes it from more general terms for foreigners or immigrants. You will frequently encounter it in institutional or political contexts regarding diaspora communities.
Examples
Their whole family are expatriates and have lived in the UK for many years.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this as a standalone word to describe someone living abroad, as it sounds unnatural and overly academic. Use 移民 or 外國人 instead for everyday conversation.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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Connector
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).
