zung1 sam1 jyu5中心語中心语
Jyutpingzung1 sam1 jyu5
Yalejūng sām yúh
Definition
The head of a phrase in linguistics.
neutralschoolcommunication
How it's used
This term is strictly a technical linguistic label used in academic or educational contexts to describe grammatical structure. You will rarely hear it in casual conversation unless you are specifically discussing grammar or syntax with a teacher or student. It functions as the core element that determines the grammatical category of the entire phrase.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Which word is the head of this phrase?
Identifying the head in a sentence is not that easy.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the general meaning of center or core, but in linguistics, it specifically refers to the word that dictates the syntactic properties of a phrase.
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.
