zing2 tin1整天
Jyutpingzing2 tin1
Yalejíng tīn
Definition
All day; the whole day from morning to night.
colloquialtime
How it's used
While 整天 is understood in Cantonese, native speakers overwhelmingly prefer using 成日 to express the concept of all day. Using 成日 sounds much more natural and fits the rhythm of spoken Cantonese better than the slightly more formal or Mandarin-influenced 整天. It is common to pair this with the particle 都 to emphasize the duration of the entire day.
Examples
He has been playing games in his room all day.
Related words
Common phrases
all day long
Common mistake
Learners often use 整天 as a direct translation from Mandarin, but it can sound slightly stiff or bookish in casual conversation. Stick to 成日 to sound like a local.
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.
