taa1 zi6 gei2她自己
Jyutpingtaa1 zi6 gei2
Yaletā jih géi
Definition
Herself (written standard Chinese)
writtenpeople
How it's used
Cantonese speakers use 佢自己 to express the reflexive pronoun, whereas the written form 她自己 is almost exclusively reserved for formal writing or literature. In spoken Cantonese, the gender-neutral 佢 is used for both he and she, so 佢自己 covers both genders depending on the context. Using the Mandarin-style 她自己 in speech sounds unnatural and overly formal to native ears.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use 她自己 in conversation because they see it in textbooks. Always use 佢自己 when speaking to sound natural, as the character 她 is rarely used in spoken Cantonese.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- TonesCantonese has six tones, and the tones can change in certain grammatical contexts. Learn the six tones and the rules for tone change.
- Time and datesClock time, days of the week, months, and years. The patterns you need to make plans and talk about when things happen.
- Modal verbsHow to say can, will, may, should, must, and want. The core modal verbs of Cantonese and the differences that trip up beginners.
