wong4 soeng6皇上
Jyutpingwong4 soeng6
Yalewòhng seuhng
Definition
Your Majesty; an honorific address used by subjects for an emperor in ancient times.
colloquialpeople
How it's used
Beyond its historical use for addressing an emperor, this term is frequently used in modern daily life as a sarcastic way to describe someone who acts entitled or expects to be served by others. It carries a heavy sense of irony when applied to a friend or family member who is being particularly demanding or lazy. You will often hear it in period dramas, but its figurative use in casual arguments is just as common.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Greetings, Your Majesty
Common mistake
Do not use this to address someone in a professional or formal setting unless you are explicitly making a joke about their behavior. Using it sincerely to a superior will sound bizarre or mocking rather than respectful.
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.
