to4 zai2佗仔
Jyutpingto4 zai2
Yaletòh jái
Definition
To be pregnant with a child, or specifically with a baby boy.
colloquialfamilypeople
How it's used
Focuses specifically on the gender of the fetus, which is a common topic of interest in traditional Chinese culture. While it functions as a verb phrase, it is almost exclusively used to describe the state of pregnancy rather than the act of carrying. It carries a slightly more informal and traditional tone compared to the clinical term 懷孕.
Examples
She loved eating sour things when she was pregnant with a boy.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this to mean simply being pregnant; it specifically implies the fetus is male. Use 佗緊BB or 有咗 if the gender is unknown or irrelevant.
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.
