se2 kap1寫給写给
Jyutpingse2 kap1
Yalesé kāp
Definition
To write to someone
colloquialcommunicationdaily actions
How it's used
Spoken Cantonese almost exclusively uses 畀 instead of 給 when expressing the recipient of an action. Using 給 in casual conversation sounds overly formal or like a direct translation from written Chinese. When indicating a recipient, 畀 is placed after the verb and before the object.
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use 給 because it appears in textbooks, but it is rarely heard in daily life. Always use 畀 to sound natural and local.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
