zi6 gei2 jan4自己人
Jyutpingzi6 gei2 jan4
Yalejih géi yàhn
Definition
One of us; members of the same family, group, or community.
- relatives; family members
- one of us; members of the same group or circle
colloquialpeoplefamily
How it's used
Beyond blood relatives, this term is frequently used to signal trust and shared identity within a social or professional group. It functions as a social lubricant that immediately lowers interpersonal barriers and implies that the speaker and listener share the same interests or loyalties. It is often invoked when someone is asking for a favor or trying to convince someone to let their guard down.
Examples
We are all family, no need to be so polite.
He is one of us, feel free to speak openly.
Related words
Common phrases
to treat someone as one of us
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the reflexive pronoun 自己, which means self. While 自己人 uses the same characters, it acts as a collective noun phrase rather than a reflexive pronoun.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
