zyut3 ging1拙荊拙荆
Jyutpingzyut3 ging1
Yalejyut gīng
Definition
Humble term used by a husband to refer to his own wife.
writtenfamilypeople
How it's used
Refers to one's own spouse with a self-deprecating tone, literally implying that she is a thorn or a simple person. It is used exclusively by men when speaking about their own wives to others. Using it to refer to someone else's wife is considered highly inappropriate and rude.
Examples
My wife is not free to attend today.
Related words
Common phrases
my wife and I
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use this term to refer to other people's wives, which is incorrect as it is strictly for self-reference. Additionally, it sounds extremely formal or archaic in modern daily life, so it is rarely heard outside of very traditional or literary contexts.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
