zuk6 zoeng2族長族长
Jyutpingzuk6 zoeng2
Yalejuhk jéung
Definition
The head of a clan or a patriarch.
neutralfamilypeople
How it's used
Refers specifically to the traditional leader or elder of a lineage or clan group, often carrying connotations of authority and ancestral responsibility. It is rarely used in modern urban Hong Kong life unless discussing historical village structures or formal family hierarchies in rural areas. In casual conversation, people are more likely to refer to the eldest family member simply as 大佬 or 老大 depending on the context.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Related words
Common phrases
clan patriarch
Common mistake
Avoid using this to refer to the head of a company or a boss, as it is strictly reserved for family or clan lineage contexts. Using it in a corporate setting will sound archaic or confusingly metaphorical.
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.
