lai5 maau6禮貌礼貌
Jyutpinglai5 maau6
Yaleláih maauh
Definition
Courtesy, politeness, and good manners used to show respect.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Using 禮貌 often involves adding a degree adverb like 好 or 啲 to soften the tone. It is frequently used in the negative form 冇禮貌 to describe someone behaving rudely or lacking basic social etiquette. Unlike formal written Chinese, it is common to use it as a descriptor for a person's general character rather than just a specific action.
Examples
You should be more polite when you speak.
He is very polite to others, and everyone likes him.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using 禮貌 as a verb. It is a noun, so you must use it with a verb like 有 or 冇, or use it as an adjective with 嘅.
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.
