wen1 zai2Ｖａｎ仔
Jyutpingwen1 zai2
Yalewēn jái
Definition
A van, minivan, or light goods vehicle.
colloquialtransport
How it's used
Refers specifically to small commercial vans often used for moving goods or as light goods vehicles. The suffix 仔 is added to many nouns in Cantonese to indicate something is small or to sound more casual and friendly. It is the standard way to refer to these vehicles in daily life, whereas the formal term 輕型貨車 is rarely used in spoken conversation.
Measure word
gaa3架gaRelated words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with a passenger minivan or a larger truck, as it specifically implies a small commercial van. Also, remember that it is a noun, so it requires the classifier 架.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
