ling4 ding1零丁
Jyutpingling4 ding1
Yalelìhng dīng
Definition
Fragmentary, not whole, or a tiny remaining part apart from the whole.
colloquialnumbersdescriptions
How it's used
This term is almost exclusively used in the reduplicated form 零零丁丁 to emphasize the scattered or incomplete nature of a quantity. It carries a slightly negative connotation of being messy or insignificant. You will rarely hear it used as a single character in modern spoken Cantonese.
Examples
This number is all fragmented and uneven, it is hard to calculate.
Related words
Common phrases
scattered and incomplete
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin term 伶仃, which relates to being lonely or solitary. In Cantonese, 零丁 specifically refers to numerical fragments or leftovers, not emotional states.
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.
