tou4 lei5桃李
Jyutpingtou4 lei5
Yaletòuh léih
Definition
One's students or disciples.
writtenpeopleschool
How it's used
Literally meaning peach and plum trees, this term is a classic literary metaphor for a teacher's students. It is almost exclusively used in the set phrase 桃李滿天下 to describe a teacher who has taught many successful individuals. While it sounds elegant and respectful, it is rarely used in casual, everyday conversation among friends.
Examples
He has been teaching for so many years, his students are everywhere.
This teacher really has students all over the place, everyone is very successful.
Related words
Common phrases
to have students everywhere
Common mistake
Avoid using this to refer to a specific student or a small group of students. It is only appropriate when referring to the collective body of a teacher's pupils, particularly those who have achieved success.
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).
