taai3態态
Jyutpingtaai3
Yaletaai
Definition
Form, state, appearance, or condition.
neutraldescriptionshealth
How it's used
Rarely stands alone as a noun in spoken Cantonese, functioning primarily as a morpheme in compound words. It is most frequently encountered in the term 狀態, which is the standard way to describe someone's physical or mental condition. When describing a person's mood or performance, 狀態 is the go-to word for both athletes and everyday people.
Examples
His current state doesn't seem very good.
Why are you suddenly acting so out of character?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using it as a standalone word to mean condition or shape, as it will sound like incomplete literary Chinese. Always pair it with other characters like 狀 to form 狀態 or 勢 to form 態勢.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
