nai4 tou2泥土
Jyutpingnai4 tou2
Yalenàih tóu
Definition
Soil, earth, or dirt; the material on the ground in which plants grow.
neutralnature
How it's used
While 泥土 refers specifically to soil or earth, locals often just use 泥 in daily speech for dirt, mud, or soil. Using the full term 泥土 sounds slightly more formal or descriptive, such as when discussing gardening or geology. It is rarely used to describe general filth on a surface, for which 污糟 is the standard adjective.
Measure word
deoi1堆dēuiExamples
This soil is very suitable for planting flowers.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 泥土 with 土地, which refers to land or a plot of ground rather than the physical substance of dirt itself.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
