kwai4揆

Jyutpingkwai4

Yalekwàih

語素

Definition

Prime minister; premier.

writtenpeople

How it's used

Functions primarily as a suffix in news headlines or formal reports to refer to a head of government. It is rarely used in casual conversation and is almost exclusively attached to the name of a country to create a shorthand title. It carries a slightly literary or journalistic tone compared to the more common 首相.

Examples

jing1英gwok3國sau2首soeng3相jau6又giu3叫jing1英kwai4揆。

The British Prime Minister is also called the British Premier.

nei5你teng1聽gwo3過jat6日kwai4揆ni1呢go3個cing1稱fu1呼mei6未aa4呀？

Have you heard the title 'Japanese Premier' before?

Common phrases

jing1英kwai4揆

British Prime Minister

jat6日kwai4揆

Japanese Prime Minister

Common mistake

Do not use this word as a standalone noun to refer to a generic prime minister in daily speech. It is strictly a bound morpheme that requires a prefix, such as 英 or 日, to be grammatically and contextually appropriate.