sing4 si5 zoeng2城市長城市长
Jyutpingsing4 si5 zoeng2
Yalesìhng síh jéung
Definition
Mayor
neutralpeopleplaces
How it's used
This term is primarily used in the context of foreign political systems where the head of a city is officially titled as such. In the specific context of Hong Kong, the term is rarely applied to local governance because the city is led by a Chief Executive, known as 行政長官. Using this term for a local official would sound unnatural or like a direct translation from a foreign news report.
Measure word
wai6位waihExamples
After he became the mayor, the whole city changed completely.
Do you know who the new mayor is?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 市長, which is the standard term for mayor in most Chinese-speaking regions. 城市長 is a less common, more descriptive construction that emphasizes the role of the city leader rather than the standard title.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
