neoi5 jau5女友
Jyutpingneoi5 jau5
Yalenéuih yáuh
Definition
Girlfriend; short for 女朋友 (neoi5 pang4 jau5).
colloquialpeoplefamily
How it's used
女友 is the standard, neutral way to refer to a girlfriend in conversation. It is slightly more concise than the full form 女朋友, making it very common in spoken Cantonese. While it is perfectly acceptable in most social settings, using the full form 女朋友 can sometimes sound a bit more formal or emphatic depending on the context.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
He brought his girlfriend home for dinner.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using 女友 when addressing someone directly, as it can sound overly clinical or detached. When speaking to your partner, use their name or a term of endearment instead.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
