lou5 gaau1 cing4老交情
Jyutpinglou5 gaau1 cing4
Yalelóuh gāau chìhng
Definition
An old friendship, or a long-standing relationship between friends who go way back.
colloquialpeople
How it's used
Refers specifically to a long-standing relationship built on shared history rather than just the duration of knowing someone. It carries a sense of warmth and reliability, often used to explain why someone might do a favor for another person. It is more common to hear this used when describing the depth of a bond between two people who have weathered many experiences together.
Examples
He and I have been friends for decades.
When did you two become such old friends?
Related words
Common phrases
to have a long-standing friendship
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 舊朋友, which simply means an old friend from the past. 老交情 emphasizes the strength and continuity of the connection, whereas 舊朋友 can refer to someone you have not seen or spoken to in years.
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.
