on3 lei5按理
Jyutpingon3 lei5
Yaleon léih
Definition
According to reason or common sense; logically speaking.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
Expresses an expectation based on common sense or established facts, often implying that the current reality contradicts that expectation. It frequently appears in sentences ending with particles like 㗎 or 喎 to emphasize the speaker's surprise or questioning tone regarding a deviation from the norm.
Examples
Logically speaking, he should have returned home by now.
Logically speaking, this shouldn't have happened.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this in overly formal or academic writing where more standard Mandarin-based conjunctions are preferred, as it carries a distinctly conversational tone in Cantonese.
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).
