<p>The standard character for ni1 / nei1 is 呢, not <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/658/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">哩</a>, which mean 'mile'</p>
<blockquote>
<p>呢兩個人好相似</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>呢</strong> in this context functions as '<strong>this</strong>'</p>
<p>呢 (this)</p>
<p>兩個人 (two persons)</p>
<p>好相似 (very alike)</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>呢</strong> <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/1029/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/1029/</a></p>
<p>jyutping: ni1 / nei1</p>
<p>[粵][pron][adj] <strong>this</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>~</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>And how different is it if you just say 兩個人好相似?</em></p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li><p>呢兩個人好相似 (this two people are very alike)</p>
</li>
<li><p>兩個人好相似 (two people are very alike)</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>It is just like omitting 'this' in &quot;(this) two people are very alike&quot; in English.</p>
<p><em>You can omit '呢/this' if we know which two persons the sentence is referring to</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-17T06:31:56.777Z
Thanks. I was reading lecture notes from a cantonese site and this came as the transcription. I am familiar with the standard usage for “this”. Thanks again
cgo
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-17T05:02:38.827Z
2019-07-17T05:11:09.167Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>What is the function of 哩 in 哩兩個人好相似? </p>

<p>And how different is it if you just say 兩個人好相似?</p>

<cantonese>
What is the function of 哩? (Cantonese)
# What is the function of 哩? (Cantonese)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-07-17)

What is the function of 哩 in 哩兩個人好相似?

And how different is it if you just say 兩個人好相似?

**Tags:** cantonese


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-07-17. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

The standard character for ni1 / nei1 is 呢, not [哩](http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/658/), which mean 'mile'

> 呢兩個人好相似

**呢** in this context functions as '**this**'

呢 (this)

兩個人 (two persons)

好相似 (very alike)

> **呢** <http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/1029/>
>
> jyutping: ni1 / nei1
>
> [粵][pron][adj] **this**

~

> *And how different is it if you just say 兩個人好相似?*

* 呢兩個人好相似 (this two people are very alike)
* 兩個人好相似 (two people are very alike)

It is just like omitting 'this' in "(this) two people are very alike" in English.

*You can omit '呢/this' if we know which two persons the sentence is referring to*

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks. I was reading lecture notes from a cantonese site and this came as the transcription. I am familiar with the standard usage for “this”. Thanks again  

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