lai5劙
Jyutpinglai5
Yaleláih
Definition
To divide or partition.
colloquialfooddaily actions
How it's used
This character is specifically used for the physical act of cutting or slicing something into pieces, often implying a degree of precision or force. It is frequently heard in kitchen contexts when preparing food, such as slicing meat or dividing a large portion into smaller ones. While it shares the meaning of cutting with 切, it carries a more tactile sense of separating or partitioning a whole object.
Examples
How should I slice this piece of meat to make it taste good?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 切, which is the general, all-purpose word for cutting. Use 劙 when emphasizing the action of dividing or partitioning a specific item, whereas 切 is safer for everyday, general cutting tasks.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
