taa1 mun4 zi6 gei2牠們自己它们自己

Jyutpingtaa1 mun4 zi6 gei2

Yaletā mùhn jih géi

Definition

Themselves, referring to a group of animals.

writtenanimals

How it's used

Cantonese speakers almost never use 牠們自己 in spoken language because it sounds like a direct translation from written Chinese. Instead, people use 啲 plus the animal name followed by 自己 to express that animals are doing something on their own. The character 牠 is strictly for animals in writing, but in speech, it is completely absent.

Common phrases

zi6自gei2己wan2搵sik6食

to fend for oneself

zi6自gei2己zau2走

to leave by oneself

Common mistake

Avoid using 牠們 in conversation as it sounds unnatural and overly formal. Use 啲 or 嗰啲 followed by the animal name to refer to a group of animals instead.