ziu1 zik6朝夕
Jyutpingziu1 zik6
Yalejīu jihk
Definition
Morning and evening; day and night.
neutraltimepeople
How it's used
Literary in origin, this term is almost exclusively used in set phrases describing the constant proximity of people. It carries a poetic or slightly dramatic weight, suggesting an inseparable bond or a long-term shared routine. You will rarely hear it used in isolation to simply mean morning and evening, as speakers prefer 朝早 and 晏晝 or 挨晚 for those specific times.
Examples
The couple spends every day and night together, and their relationship is very stable.
Related words
Common phrases
to see each other day and night
to live together day and night
Common mistake
Avoid using this as a literal translation for morning and evening in daily conversation, as it sounds overly formal or archaic. Use it only when emphasizing the duration or the intensity of being together.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
