戲
hei3
In Cantonese, the word for movie is 戲 (hei3).
The word 戲 is a broad term that can refer to a movie, a stage play or a drama, depending on the context of your conversation. In daily life, the common way to say 'to watch a movie' is the phrase 睇戲.
Meaning: motion picture (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 戲 is a colloquial term that can mean several types of performance art like plays or dramas, the more specific term 電影 is used for movies.
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting movies in a colloquial way, the classifier 套 is used, such as in the phrase 套戲.
How do you pronounce it?
hei3
Did you know?
- In Cantonese, the phrase 睇戲 can sometimes be used metaphorically to mean 'watching the chaos' or 'waiting for a disaster to unfold' from the sidelines.
- In Cantonese, if you want to say 'movie star', you would use 影星, which literally translates to 'shadow star'.
- In some contexts, the character 戲 can also mean 'to play' or 'to tease', meaning the root of the word for 'movie' is tied to the concept of playfulness.
Examples in context
- 套戲好唔好睇呀？Was the movie good?This sentence shows how to ask if a movie was good using 戲.Tatoeba #469463 by nickyeow, translation #26452 by CK
- 呢頭有無戲院㗎？Are there any movie theaters near here?This sentence shows how to ask about the presence of a movie theater using 戲.Tatoeba #470960 by nickyeow, translation #18738 by CK
- 不如一齊去睇戲吖。Would you like to go see a movie with me?This sentence shows how to suggest watching a movie using 戲.Tatoeba #400072 by nickyeow, translation #27701 by CK
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding what to do on a Saturday afternoon.
- 志強 Chi Keung今日有咩好戲呀？gam1 jat6 jau5 me1 hou2 hei3 aa3?What good movies are out today?
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung呢套新戲好紅呀。ni1 tou3 san1 hei3 hou2 hung4 aa3.This new movie is very popular.
- 志強 Chi Keung不如我哋去睇戲啦。bat1 jyu4 ngo5 dei6 heoi3 tai2 hei3 laa1.Why don't we go watch a movie.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung好呀，我依家就去。hou2 aa3, ngo5 ji1 gaa1 zau6 heoi3.Okay, let's go right now.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
