leoi5 sai3累世
Jyutpingleoi5 sai3
Yaleléuih sai
Definition
For generations; successive generations.
neutraltimefamily
How it's used
Refers to a span of multiple generations, often implying a long-standing tradition or a burden passed down through time. It carries a slightly formal or literary weight compared to everyday speech, making it sound more emphatic than simply saying 好多代.
Examples
Their family has been in business for generations.
They have kept this secret for generations.
Related words
Common phrases
passed down through generations
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe a simple duration of time like 'a few years' or 'a short while', as it specifically emphasizes the passage of ancestral or generational time.
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.
