sei3 go3 zi6四個字四个字
Jyutpingsei3 go3 zi6
Yalesei go jih
Definition
Four Chinese characters; or a colloquial expression meaning twenty minutes.
- four Chinese characters
- colloquialtwenty minutes (referring to four five-minute intervals on a clock)
colloquialtime
How it's used
Refers specifically to twenty minutes when discussing time, as each character represents five minutes in this context. This is a common way to express time intervals without using the word 分鐘. It is strictly used for time and does not mean four literal words or characters in most conversational settings.
Examples
What time is it now? It's almost twenty minutes past the hour.
You are twenty minutes late, everyone has been waiting for a long time.
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a literal count of four words or characters. Always remember it is a specialized way to count time in twenty-minute increments.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- 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.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
