zi2 ji3指意

Jyutpingzi2 ji3

Yalejí yi

動詞Uncommon

Definition

To rely on, hope, or count on someone to do something.

colloquialdaily actionspeople

How it's used

Carries a strong nuance of placing one's expectations or reliance on someone else to achieve a result. It is frequently used in negative constructions to express that an outcome is unlikely or that a person is unreliable. It feels more informal and direct than the standard term 希望.

Examples

nei5你m4唔hou2好zi2指ji3意keoi5佢wui2會bong1幫nei5你laa1喇。

Don't count on him helping you.

le1呢gin2件si6事nei5你zung6仲zi2指ji3意bin1邊go3個bong1幫sau2手aa4呀？

Who else are you expecting to help with this?

Common phrases

m4唔sai2使zi2指ji3意

don't even think about it

zi2指ji3意jan4人

to rely on someone

Common mistake

Often confused with 指意 in the sense of 'pointing out an intention', but in Cantonese, it is almost exclusively used to mean 'to count on' or 'to rely on'. Do not use it as a direct translation for the verb 'to hope' in formal contexts.