ming4鳴鸣
Jyutpingming4
Yalemìhng
Definition
To make a sound; to cry or call out (as a bird, insect, or animal); to ring or chime.
writtenanimalsdescriptions
How it's used
This character is primarily used in formal or literary contexts to describe the sounds made by animals, particularly birds or insects. It rarely appears in casual spoken Cantonese as a standalone verb, as people prefer using specific verbs like 叫 or 嗌. You will mostly encounter it as part of compound words related to resonance or signals.
Examples
The bird is chirping on the tree.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe human speech or general noise, as it sounds overly poetic or archaic. Stick to 叫 for general sounds made by living things.
Grammar color guide
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Verb
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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.
