zi2 jan5指引
Jyutpingzi2 jan5
Yalejí yáhn
Definition
To guide, lead, or direct.
neutralworkcommunication
How it's used
Often used in formal or professional contexts, such as company manuals or government documents, where it refers to established guidelines or instructions. While it functions as a verb, it is frequently encountered as a noun meaning 'guidance' or 'a guide'. It carries a sense of providing a clear path or framework rather than just physical leading.
Examples
Who can guide us to find the exit?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 帶路, which is purely physical leading or showing the way. Use 指引 when referring to abstract guidance, advice, or official protocols, and stick to 帶路 for physically walking someone to a destination.
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.
