sing4 zi2繩子绳子
Jyutpingsing4 zi2
Yalesìhng jí
Definition
Rope, cord, or string.
colloquialother
How it's used
Native speakers almost exclusively use 繩 instead of 繩子 in daily speech. Adding the suffix 子 makes the word sound slightly more formal or literary, often appearing in written descriptions or when emphasizing the object itself rather than its function. In casual conversation, you will rarely hear 繩子 used by itself without a specific context.
Measure word
tiu4條tìuhExamples
Is this rope strong enough to pull the car?
Related words
Common phrases
a rope
Common mistake
Learners often add 子 to many nouns out of habit from Mandarin, but in Cantonese, adding 子 to 繩 is unnecessary and can sound slightly unnatural or overly formal. Stick to using 繩 for everyday situations.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
