liu4僚
Jyutpingliu4
Yalelìuh
Definition
An official or government bureaucrat; also a colleague or associate.
- literaryofficial; bureaucrat
- literarycolleague; associate
writtenworkpeople
How it's used
This character is almost exclusively encountered as a bound morpheme in formal or political contexts rather than as a standalone noun. It typically refers to members of a staff or an official entourage, often carrying a slightly more professional or high-level connotation than general words for colleagues like 同事.
Examples
He is a staff member of the government.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use this in casual conversation to refer to any coworker, but it is restricted to official or administrative staff roles.
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.
