mai1 syu1咪書咪书
Jyutpingmai1 syu1
Yalemāi syū
Definition
To study hard; to hit the books.
colloquialschool
How it's used
This term carries a slightly more informal and urgent tone than the standard 温書. It is frequently used by parents or teachers to urge students to focus on their academic tasks. The character 咪 is a colloquial variant often used in this specific context to emphasize the act of burying one's head in books.
Examples
Why aren't you studying yet? How will you take the exam tomorrow?
He has been very hardworking lately, staying in the library every night to study.
Related words
Common phrases
to pull an all-nighter studying
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the negative particle 咪, which is a contraction of 唔好. While they share the same character, the context of studying makes the meaning clear as a verb.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
