zing6 hai6凈係净系
Jyutpingzing6 hai6
Yalejihng haih
Definition
Only; just; merely.
colloquialdaily actionsdescriptions
How it's used
Focuses on exclusivity by narrowing down a range of possibilities to a single item or action. It is frequently used in spoken Cantonese to replace the more formal Mandarin-influenced 只 or 只是. When emphasizing that someone does nothing but a specific action, it is common to pair it with the verb suffix 嚟.
Examples
He only likes eating at this restaurant.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse it with 淨, which can mean clean or the remainder of something. While 凈係 functions as an adverb for only, 淨 is typically used as an adjective or verb related to purity or leftovers.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
