mai5米
Jyutpingmai5
Yalemáih
Definition
Metre; the basic SI unit of length.
colloquialother
How it's used
Pronounced with a high-level tone, this loanword is the standard way to express length in everyday speech. While it functions as a unit of measurement, it is also frequently used in casual conversation to estimate distance between two points. It is almost always used in combination with numbers rather than as a standalone noun.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the word for rice, which is also written as 米 but carries a different tone and meaning. In the context of measurement, it is strictly a unit of length and cannot be used to describe weight or volume.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
