ming4 tin1明天
Jyutpingming4 tin1
Yalemìhng tīn
Definition
Tomorrow; the day after today, or figuratively, the future.
- tomorrow; the day after today
- figurativethe future
colloquialtime
How it's used
Native speakers almost exclusively use 聽日 in spoken Cantonese, whereas 明天 is reserved for formal writing or news broadcasts. Using 明天 in casual conversation can sound stiff or overly dramatic, as if you are reading from a script.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use 明天 because it is the standard term in Mandarin, but it sounds unnatural in daily Hong Kong life. Always opt for 聽日 to sound like a local.
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.
