laai1 lin2拉鍊拉炼
Jyutpinglaai1 lin2
Yalelāai lín
Definition
Zipper; a device used to fasten two pieces of fabric or soft material together, commonly on clothes or bags.
colloquialclothing
How it's used
Refers specifically to the mechanical fastener found on clothing and bags. While the term is standard, native speakers often just use the English word zip in casual conversation, especially when referring to the action of pulling it.
Measure word
tiu4條tìuhExamples
The zipper on these pants is broken and won't close.
Your bag's zipper isn't pulled shut, be careful.
Related words
Common phrases
to zip up
Common mistake
Do not confuse the noun with the verb action. While you can say 拉拉鍊 to mean zipping up, the word itself is just the object, so you must use the verb 拉 to describe the action.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
