pei4 kau4皮球
Jyutpingpei4 kau4
Yalepèih kàuh
Definition
A ball, especially a medium-sized bouncy ball used as a toy or for sports.
colloquialdaily actions
How it's used
While 皮球 refers to a specific type of ball, modern Cantonese speakers almost exclusively use the loanword 波 for all types of balls, regardless of material or size. Using 皮球 can sound slightly old fashioned or specific to childhood games involving rubber balls. It is rarely used for professional sports equipment like basketballs or footballs, where specific names like 籃球 or 足球 are preferred.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
The children are playing with a ball in the park.
Related words
Common phrases
to kick the ball (often used metaphorically for passing the buck)
Common mistake
Do not use 皮球 to refer to any ball in a sports context, as it sounds unnatural and overly literal. Stick to 波 for general use or the specific sport name for clarity.
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.
