lei6莉
Jyutpinglei6
Yaleleih
Definition
A character commonly used in the phonetic transliteration of foreign female names, such as Lily.
neutralpeople
How it's used
This character is almost exclusively used as a phonetic component in transliterating Western names into Chinese. It carries a feminine connotation because of its association with the jasmine flower, which is often used in naming conventions. You will rarely see it used outside of names or specific botanical contexts.
Examples
Do you know a girl named Mary?
Related words
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.
