zi6稚
Jyutpingzi6
Yalejih
Definition
Young, childish, or weak.
writtenpeopledescriptions
How it's used
This character is rarely used as a standalone word in spoken Cantonese and almost always appears as part of a compound. It carries a formal or literary nuance, often describing someone who is inexperienced, naive, or physically delicate. When describing a person's behavior, it often implies a lack of worldly wisdom or maturity.
Examples
Children's minds are not yet mature and are relatively naive.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 幼, which is much more common in everyday speech for describing young children or small things. Using 稚 in casual conversation can sound overly formal or poetic.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
