laang5 hei3 gei1冷氣機冷气机
Jyutpinglaang5 hei3 gei1
Yaleláahng hei gēi
Definition
Air conditioner; an electrical appliance used to regulate indoor temperature.
colloquialhometechnology
How it's used
People in Hong Kong almost exclusively use this term instead of the more formal 空調. It is common to drop the 機 suffix and just say 冷氣 when referring to the cool air itself or the system in general, such as saying 開冷氣 to mean turning on the AC. When discussing the physical unit, the classifier 部 is the standard choice.
Measure word
bou6部bouhExamples
The air conditioner in the room is broken, it's so hot I can't sleep.
Related words
Common phrases
turn on the air conditioner
split type air conditioner
window type air conditioner
Common mistake
Learners often confuse the machine itself with the air it produces. If you want to say the air conditioner is cold, you refer to the machine, but if you want to say the room is cold because of it, you simply say 開咗冷氣.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
