tou3 zai2兔仔
Jyutpingtou3 zai2
Yaletou jái
Definition
Rabbit; hare.
Example
tou3兔zai2仔zung1鍾ji3意sik6食hung4紅lo4蘿baak6蔔。
tou3兔zai2仔zung1钟ji3意sik6食hung4红lo4萝baak6卜。
Rabbits like to eat carrots.
colloquialanimals
How it's used
Adding 仔 to animal names is a standard way to make them sound more affectionate or informal in Cantonese. While 兔 is the formal term for rabbit, 兔仔 is used almost exclusively in daily speech to refer to the animal, regardless of its actual age or size. It carries a cute, domestic connotation that makes it the default choice for pets or characters in stories.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
There are many rabbits hopping around in the park.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use 兔仔 to refer to a wild hare in a formal or scientific context, as the suffix implies a level of familiarity or smallness that might be inappropriate for a larger or wild specimen.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
