lou5 gaa1老家
Jyutpinglou5 gaa1
Yalelóuh gā
Definition
One's native place, ancestral home, or hometown.
colloquialfamilyplaces
How it's used
Refers specifically to the ancestral home or the place where one's family roots are located. While it shares meaning with 鄉下, 老家 often carries a slightly warmer, more sentimental connotation of family origin rather than just a rural birthplace. It is frequently used when discussing returning for holidays or family gatherings.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
I will return to my hometown to visit relatives next month.
Where is your hometown?
Related words
Common phrases
return to one's hometown
Common mistake
Avoid using it to refer to your current house or apartment, as it strictly implies ancestral roots or a place of origin. Using it for your present residence sounds confusing to native speakers.
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.
