zi1支
Jyutpingzi1
Yalejī
Definition
To support or sustain.
colloquialdaily actionswork
How it's used
While 支 is a morpheme meaning to support, it rarely stands alone as a verb in modern spoken Cantonese. It is almost always paired with 撐 to form the compound 支撐. Using 支 alone to mean support sounds highly formal or literary, similar to how one might use archaic vocabulary in English.
Examples
Even though it is very tough, he has to keep going.
How much longer can this company hold on?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this 支 with the measure word 支 used for long, thin objects like pens or cigarettes. Learners often mistakenly try to use 支 as a standalone verb for support, but it will sound unnatural or confusing to native speakers.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
