齣

Classifier for Films and Plays

Level 3Sounds Like ceot1

齣 (ceot1) is the standard measure word for dramatic works like movies and plays, emphasizing the performance aspect.

How It Works

In Cantonese, nouns require a specific classifier when being counted or pointed out. 齣 (ceot1) is the dedicated classifier for dramatic works and performances.

1. Usage Contexts:
It is most commonly paired with:

  • 戲 (hei3): Play, drama, or movie.
  • 粵劇 (jyut6 kek6): Cantonese Opera (a very traditional pairing).
  • 電影 (din6 jing2): Film/Movie.
  • 話劇 (waa6 kek6): Stage play.
  • 馬戲 (maa5 hei3): Circus.

2. Nuance and Register:
Unlike 部 (bou6), which treats a film as a 'work' or 'production', 齣 (ceot1) focuses on the performance itself. While 齣 (ceot1) is the standard theatrical classifier, note that in modern Hong Kong Cantonese, 部 (bou6) has become the more frequent choice for referring to modern movies in daily conversation. Another common classifier is 套 (tou3), which is often used for a 'set' or a series of episodes.

3. Sentence Structure:
It follows the standard Number + Classifier + Noun or Demonstrative + Classifier + Noun pattern.

Examples (4)

  1. 呢齣戲好鬼恐怖。

    This movie is scary as hell.

    Word by Word: This [classifier] movie very ghost scary.

    Here, 齣 (ceot1) is used with the demonstrative 呢 (ni1) to point out a specific movie.

  2. 我琴晚睇咗一齣好感人嘅話劇。

    I watched a very touching stage play last night.

    Word by Word: I yesterday night watch [aspect] one [classifier] very touching [possessive] stage-play.

    齣 (ceot1) is the standard classifier for stage plays (話劇 waa6 kek6).

  3. 你最鍾意邊齣電影呀？

    Which movie do you like the most?

    Word by Word: You most like which [classifier] movie [particle]?

    When asking 'which' (邊 bin1), the classifier 齣 (ceot1) is used to specify that we are talking about a film.

  4. 佢主演過好幾齣戲。

    He has starred in quite a few movies.

    Word by Word: He star-in [aspect] quite a-few [classifier] movies.

    幾 (gei2) meaning 'a few' is followed by the classifier 齣 (ceot1) before the noun 戲 (hei3).

Common Mistakes

  • Using the general classifier 個 (go3) for movies.

    我尋日睇咗一個戲。
    我尋日睇咗一齣戲。

    While 個 (go3) might be understood, 齣 (ceot1) is the usual classifier for a film or play.

  • Using 場 (coeng4) for a whole film.

    Different Meaning呢場戲好長。
    呢齣戲好長。

    呢場戲好長 is a fine sentence, but 場戲 usually means one scene or one showing is long. To say the whole film or play is long, use 齣 (ceot1).

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

齣Level 3Classifier for Films and Plays

Learn This First

The pattern '齣' (ceot1) is a specific classifier used for stage and screen works. To use it correctly, learners must first understand the general grammatical role of classifiers in Cantonese and the standard word order for counting nouns (Number + Classifier + Noun).

Words in This Pattern

齣