nei5 sin1你先
Jyutpingnei5 sin1
Yalenéih sīn
Definition
After you; please go ahead; you first.
colloquialdaily actionspeople
How it's used
Politeness in Hong Kong often involves deferring to others in shared spaces like elevators or doorways. Using this phrase signals respect and social awareness, making it a staple of daily interaction. It is frequently paired with the particle 啦 to soften the tone and make the offer sound more sincere.
Examples
Common mistake
Avoid using this as a direct translation for 'you first' in every context, as it specifically refers to taking turns or priority in an action. If you are trying to tell someone to start a task before you, it is more natural to say 你做先.
Grammar color guide
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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).
