noi6耐
Jyutpingnoi6
Yalenoih
Definition
Long; a long time.
colloquialtime
How it's used
Focus on the duration of an action or state rather than a specific point in time. It frequently appears with the particle 冇 to express that something has not occurred for a significant period. When used to describe waiting, it often pairs with the aspect marker 咗 to emphasize the elapsed time.
Examples
Have you been waiting for a long time?
We haven't seen each other for a long time.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using it to mean durable or resistant, as in the Mandarin sense of 耐用. In Cantonese, it is almost exclusively reserved for temporal duration.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
