ni1 paai4呢排
Jyutpingni1 paai4
Yalenī pàaih
Definition
Recently; lately; these days.
colloquialtime
How it's used
Refers specifically to a vague, ongoing period of time that includes the present moment and the immediate past. It is far more common in casual conversation than the more formal 近期 or 最近. It often implies that the speaker has been experiencing a particular state or activity consistently throughout this recent stretch.
Examples
What have you been up to lately?
I have been feeling very tired these days.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to refer to a specific point in the past, as it must encompass the present. If you want to talk about a specific day last week, use 上星期 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.
