tai4啼
Jyutpingtai4
Yaletàih
Definition
To weep or cry; to call or chirp, as a bird or animal.
- to cry; to weep
- to crow, howl, chirp, or call, of a bird or animal
colloquialanimals
How it's used
Refers specifically to the vocalizations of animals like birds or insects rather than the human act of weeping. While it can describe a sound that resembles a cry, it is rarely used for human emotion in modern spoken Cantonese. Use 喊 when referring to people shedding tears.
Examples
The chicken is crowing there.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this for human crying, as it sounds archaic or poetic; stick to 喊 for people.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
