sap6 jat1 go3 zi6十一個字十一个字
Jyutpingsap6 jat1 go3 zi6
Yalesahp yāt go jih
Definition
Fifty-five minutes; eleven characters on a clock face representing five-minute intervals.
colloquialnumberscommunication
How it's used
Refers specifically to the count of characters in written Chinese or words in a sentence. It is frequently used when discussing the length of short messages, headlines, or specific phrases. Unlike English where word count is standard, this term is often used to refer to the number of individual characters written on a page or screen.
Examples
This sentence has eleven characters in total.
Related words
Common phrases
write eleven characters
only eleven characters
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with counting time, as in Hong Kong, time is often expressed using the word 字 to represent five minute intervals. If someone says 十一個字 in the context of time, they mean fifty-five minutes past the hour, not eleven characters.
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.
