亦

Also (Literary)

Level 5Sounds Like jik6

亦 (jik6) is the formal equivalent of the colloquial 都 (dou1). It means 'also' or 'too' and is used in professional, academic, or literary contexts.

How It Works

亦 (jik6) is a high-register adverb derived from Classical Chinese. Understanding its usage is key to navigating formal Cantonese environments.

1. Register and Usage
亦 is rarely used in casual conversation with friends. Instead, it appears in:

  • News broadcasts and formal speeches
  • Academic writing and legal documents
  • Cantopop lyrics and literature

2. Syntactic Position
Like most adverbs in Cantonese, 亦 must appear before the verb or adjective it modifies. It cannot be placed at the end of a sentence like the English word 'too'.

3. The 'Also' vs. 'All' Distinction
A critical difference between 亦 and the colloquial 都 (dou1) is that 亦 only means 'also'. It cannot be used to mean 'all' or 'both' in the way Quantifier + 都 functions.

4. Fixed Expressions
亦 frequently appears in four-character idioms (si3 zi6 ci4), such as 亦師亦友 (jik6 si1 jik6 jau5), meaning 'both a teacher and a friend'.

Examples (4)

  1. 佢亦有出席當晚嘅研討會。

    He also attended the seminar that evening.

    Word by Word: He also have attend that night possessive seminar.

    This is a formal sentence. 亦 (jik6) is used instead of 都 (dou1) to maintain a professional tone.

  2. 呢個計劃亦都好重要。

    This plan is also very important.

    Word by Word: This classifier plan also-all very important.

    Here, the hybrid 亦都 (jik6 dou1) is used, which is common in semi-formal spoken Cantonese.

  3. 佢同我亦師亦友。

    He is both a mentor and a friend to me.

    Word by Word: He with me also teacher also friend.

    A classic four-character idiom where 亦 (jik6) functions as 'both... and...' in a literary structure.

  4. 本公司亦提供售後服務。

    Our company also provides after-sales service.

    Word by Word: Root company also provide sell-after service.

    Commonly seen in business writing or formal announcements.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 亦 (jik6) to mean 'all'.

    Different Meaning我哋亦去。
    我哋都去。

    我哋亦去 is a good sentence, but 亦 means "also", not "all": "We are also going". To say "We are all going", use 都 (dou1).

  • Using 亦 (jik6) in casual conversation.

    Different Meaning我想食飯，亦想飲可樂。
    我想食飯，都想飲可樂。

    While grammatically correct, using 亦 (jik6) while ordering food sounds unnaturally stiff. Use 都 (dou1) or 仲 (zung6) in casual settings.

How It Connects

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亦Level 5Also (Literary)

Learn This First

亦 (jik6) is a formal or literary adverb meaning 'also'. To understand it, learners should first be familiar with its colloquial counterpart '都' (dou1). Since 亦 is typically found in formal speech or writing, a basic grasp of the differences between spoken and written Cantonese registers is helpful.

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