ngoi6 jan4外人
Jyutpingngoi6 jan4
Yalengoih yàhn
Definition
Outsider; a person who is outside of a specific circle such as a family, relationship, or group.
colloquialpeople
How it's used
Focuses on the boundary between an 'in-group' and the rest of the world. It is frequently used to imply that someone lacks the necessary context or intimacy to judge or participate in a situation. While it can mean foreigner, it is more commonly used to describe anyone outside a specific social circle or family unit.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
This is a family matter, don't let outsiders know.
They are so in love, how could an outsider possibly interfere?
Related words
Common phrases
hard for outsiders to understand
don't let outsiders know
Common mistake
Avoid using this to mean a foreigner in a neutral sense, as it can sound exclusionary or xenophobic depending on the context. Use 外國人 if you specifically mean someone from another country.
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).
