leot6 ling6律令
Jyutpingleot6 ling6
Yaleleuht lihng
Definition
Ritsuryō, a historical system of law; an imperative or command.
- technicalRitsuryō, a historical penal and administrative code in East Asia
- an order, command, or imperative
writtenother
How it's used
Refers specifically to formal legal codes or authoritative decrees rather than general rules or social norms. It carries a sense of historical or institutional weight, often appearing in contexts involving government mandates or ancient systems of governance. Use 法律 for everyday references to modern law to avoid sounding overly archaic or academic.
Measure word
tiu4條tìuhExamples
They simply do not care about the laws.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 法律, which is the standard term for modern law. Using 律令 in casual conversation about traffic rules or company policies sounds unnatural and overly formal.
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.
