ngoi6 saang2外省
Definition
Provinces other than one's own, specifically non-Guangdong provinces in Guangdong, or mainland provinces in Taiwan.
How it's used
Refers specifically to people or things originating from provinces outside the speaker's current region. In Hong Kong, it is rarely used to describe mainlanders because the term usually implies a contrast between a specific local province and the rest of the country, which does not fit the Hong Kong context. It is much more commonly heard in Taiwan to distinguish between those who moved from the mainland after 1949 and the local population.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe people from Hong Kong or Macau, as they are not considered provinces. Using it to refer to anyone from the mainland is often imprecise and can sound unnatural depending on the speaker's background.
Grammar color guide
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.
