wai6衛卫
Jyutpingwai6
Yalewaih
Definition
To guard, protect, or defend.
- to guard; to defend
- security guard
neutralhealthwork
How it's used
The character 衛 is rarely used as a standalone verb in modern spoken Cantonese, appearing mostly in compound words related to health or security. It functions primarily as a formal root in terms like 衛生 or 保衛. When referring to a person who guards a place, Cantonese speakers almost exclusively use the loanword 保安 instead of a term derived from 衛.
Examples
He works as a security guard at the building entrance, responsible for guarding it.
Do you usually pay attention to hygiene?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often try to use 衛 as a verb for guarding in daily speech, but it sounds overly literary or archaic. Use 睇住 or 守住 for guarding something in a casual context.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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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).
