paai4 ziu3牌照
Jyutpingpaai4 ziu3
Yalepàaih jiu
Definition
License; a permit or official proof of permission to conduct a specific activity.
neutralworkother
How it's used
While 牌照 is the formal term for a license, locals frequently shorten it to just 牌 in casual speech. You will hear people say 考車牌 or 攞酒牌 instead of the full version. Using the full 牌照 often sounds more official, such as when reading government notices or discussing legal requirements.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Has he gotten his driver's license yet?
This restaurant hasn't obtained a liquor license.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse 牌照 with 招牌, which refers to a shop sign or signboard. Beginners sometimes mistakenly use 牌照 when they mean the physical sign hanging outside a store.
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.
