naam4 sing3男性
Jyutpingnaam4 sing3
Yalenàahm sing
Definition
Male; the male sex, as opposed to female.
neutralpeople
How it's used
Refers specifically to biological or social gender rather than the casual term for a man, which is usually 男人. It is primarily used in formal contexts like statistics, medical forms, or sociological discussions. Using it in casual conversation to refer to a specific person can sound overly clinical or detached.
Examples
This company has hired many male employees.
How do you think the way men and women think differs?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to refer to an individual man in casual conversation, as it sounds like you are reading from a survey or a scientific report. Use 男人 instead for everyday situations.
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.
