zi6 hei3稚氣稚气
Jyutpingzi6 hei3
Yalejih hei
Definition
Childishness; a childlike temperament, appearance, or demeanor.
neutralpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Focuses specifically on the innocent, naive, or immature appearance and demeanor of a person. While it can describe a child, it is frequently used to comment on adults who still retain a youthful or inexperienced look. It carries a slightly more descriptive and observant tone compared to just calling someone immature.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe actual bad behavior or poor decision making, as it refers more to a physical look or a personality trait rather than a specific action. Use 幼稚 if you want to criticize someone for being silly or acting like a child in a negative way.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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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.
