tung4 uk1同屋
Jyutpingtung4 uk1
Yaletùhng ūk
Definition
Housemate or roommate; someone who lives in the same house but is not a relative.
colloquialpeoplehome
How it's used
Refers specifically to people sharing a living space who are not related by blood or marriage. While it functions as a noun, it is frequently used as a possessive, such as 我同屋, to mean my housemate. It carries a neutral tone and is the most common way to describe someone you share a flat with in Hong Kong.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
My housemate and I really like watching TV in the living room.
Related words
Common phrases
to look for a housemate
to share the rent of a house
Common mistake
Avoid using roommate to describe someone you share a house with, as that is a direct translation from English; 同屋 is the standard term. Also, do not confuse it with 室友, which is more common in written Chinese or Mandarin contexts.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
