ting1 gaau3聽教听教
Jyutpingting1 gaau3
Yaletīng gaau
Definition
To obey; to be obedient and listen to guidance or teaching.
colloquialpeople
How it's used
Often used in the reduplicated form 聽教聽話 to describe someone, usually a child, who is well-behaved and follows instructions. It carries a positive, slightly old-fashioned tone of approval for someone who is compliant and respectful toward elders or authority figures.
Examples
He was very obedient when he was young and wouldn't run off.
It's really rare for your son to be so obedient.
Related words
Common phrases
obedient and well-behaved
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe following instructions in a professional or technical setting, as it specifically refers to personal conduct and moral obedience rather than task completion.
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.
