ping4萍
Jyutpingping4
Yalepìhng
Definition
Duckweed, often used as a symbol of a floating or wandering existence.
writtennature
How it's used
This character is almost exclusively used in literary or idiomatic contexts to evoke a sense of rootlessness or transience. It rarely appears in daily speech outside of established compound words like 浮萍. Native speakers associate it with the poetic imagery of a life without a fixed home, similar to the English concept of a rolling stone.
Examples
He is like duckweed, drifting around everywhere.
Life is like the tracks of duckweed, hard to pin down.
Related words
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- NegationHow to say no, not, didn't, and don't in Cantonese. The four main negation words and when to use each one.
- Numbers and moneyCounting, talking about money, and asking how much things cost. Includes the two words for two and the everyday words for dollars and cents.
- 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.
