taa1 zi6 gei2他自己
Jyutpingtaa1 zi6 gei2
Yaletā jih géi
Definition
Himself; his own person.
colloquialpeople
How it's used
Cantonese speakers use 佢自己 to mean himself or herself, as the language does not distinguish gender in pronouns. It is frequently used to emphasize that someone is doing something alone or without external help. When you want to express that someone is doing something by themselves, you often add the classifier 個 before 人 to emphasize the solitary nature of the action.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use 他自己 because it appears in written Chinese, but in spoken Cantonese, 佢自己 is the only natural choice. Using Mandarin-style pronouns will sound unnatural and overly formal in daily conversation.
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.
