soeng4 kwai1常規常规
Jyutpingsoeng4 kwai1
Yalesèuhng kwāi
Definition
Routine, common practice, or standard convention; something that follows a normal, pre-planned arrangement.
neutralworkother
How it's used
Refers specifically to established protocols or predictable patterns of behavior rather than just being normal. It often carries a slightly formal or professional tone, making it common in workplace or institutional settings. When describing something that is simply normal or common, people usually prefer using 正常 or 普通 instead.
Examples
This is the company's standard procedure.
Let's not break this routine.
Related words
Common phrases
break the routine
comply with standard procedures
Common mistake
Learners often use this to mean normal or average, but it specifically implies a set rule or established convention. Using it to describe a person's personality or a random event sounds unnatural.
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.
