zai2濟济
Jyutpingzai2
Yalejái
Definition
To help; to aid; to assist.
colloquialpeopledaily actions
How it's used
Used primarily in the sense of providing temporary relief or tiding someone over during a difficult moment. It often implies a stopgap measure rather than a long term solution. It is frequently paired with 救 to form 救濟, which specifically refers to providing aid to those in poverty or disaster.
Examples
He helped me out for a little while.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin usage where it can mean to cross a river or be sufficient. In Cantonese, it is almost exclusively used in the context of providing assistance or relief, and it is rarely used as a standalone verb in formal writing.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
