lei5里
Jyutpinglei5
Yaleléih
Definition
Neighbour; neighborhood.
writtenpeoplehome
How it's used
While this character appears in formal compounds like 鄰里, it is rarely used as a standalone noun in daily speech. Most Hong Kongers prefer the colloquial term 街坊 or 鄰居 to refer to people living nearby. Using this term in casual conversation can sound overly formal or literary.
Examples
They are my neighbours living next door.
Do you have a good relationship with your neighbours?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 隔籬, which is the common colloquial way to say next door or neighbour. Avoid using this character in isolation, as it is primarily a morpheme used in written or formal contexts.
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.
