<p>受得了 means '<strong>able to endure</strong>'</p>

<p>頂得住 contains the meaning of '<strong>able to endure</strong>' too, but it could also mean '<strong>able to withstand</strong>' or '<strong>can be equal to</strong>' that 受得了 couldn't.</p>

<p><strong>Example for 'able to endure':</strong></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>這種非人生㓉誰(<strong>受得了</strong>) ?/ 呢種非人生㓉邊個(<strong>頂得住</strong>)?/ who can (<strong>endure</strong>) this kind of hellish life?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The equivalent of '頂得住' in Mandarin is '受得了' in this sense</p>

<p>~</p>

<p><strong>Example for 'able to withstand'</strong>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>呢幢大廈(頂得住)七級地震 (Cantonese)/ this building can withstand 7.0 earthquake </p>
</blockquote>

<p>In Mandarin, 'to withstand' is not '受得了'. It is '承受得了'</p>

<p>The equivalent of '頂得住' in Mandarin is '能承受/ 承受得了' in this sense</p>

<p>這幢大廈(能承受)七級地震 (Mandarin)</p>

<p>~</p>

<p><strong>Example for 'can be equal to'</strong></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>一個大師傅<strong>頂得住</strong>十個學徒 (Cantonese)/ One great master <strong>can be equal to</strong> ten apprentices</p>
</blockquote>

<p>In Mandarin 'can be equal to' is not '受得了'. It is '抵得上'</p>

<p>The equivalent of '頂得住' in Mandarin is '抵得上' in this sense </p>

<p>一個大師傅<strong>抵得上</strong>十個學徒 (Mandarin)</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>The actual equivalent of 受得了 (able to endure) in Cantonese is 受得住</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>Side note</strong>:</p>

<p><em>In Cantonese, there's a more common phrase: '頂得順'/頂唔順.  It is similar to '頂得住'/ 頂唔住' but is doesn't contain the meaning of 'can be equal to' and it is more colloquial</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-22T04:47:12.563Z
2018-11-22T10:01:55.017Z
2018-11-22T10:01:55.017Z
Tang Ho
<p>They are similar in meaning of withstanding the suffering.</p>

<p>The difference is, 受得了 can be referring more to long term withstanding of suffering, while 顶得住 is more referring to short term, very high intense withstanding of suffering.</p>

<p>Also, 受得了 is more passive while 顶得住 is more initiative.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-22T04:23:01.940Z
2018-11-22T04:23:01.940Z
zyy
<p>Is 受得了 the Mandarin equivalent of 頂得住 (cannot stand this) in Cantonese?</p>

<p>If not, what is?</p>

<meaning><mandarin><cantonese>
Is 受得了 the Mandarin equivalent of 頂得住 in Cantonese?
# Is 受得了 the Mandarin equivalent of 頂得住 in Cantonese?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-11-22)

Is 受得了 the Mandarin equivalent of 頂得住 (cannot stand this) in Cantonese?

If not, what is?

**Tags:** meaning, mandarin, cantonese


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-11-22. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

受得了 means '**able to endure**'

頂得住 contains the meaning of '**able to endure**' too, but it could also mean '**able to withstand**' or '**can be equal to**' that 受得了 couldn't.

**Example for 'able to endure':**

> 這種非人生㓉誰(**受得了**) ?/ 呢種非人生㓉邊個(**頂得住**)?/ who can (**endure**) this kind of hellish life?

The equivalent of '頂得住' in Mandarin is '受得了' in this sense

~

**Example for 'able to withstand'**:

> 呢幢大廈(頂得住)七級地震 (Cantonese)/ this building can withstand 7.0 earthquake

In Mandarin, 'to withstand' is not '受得了'. It is '承受得了'

The equivalent of '頂得住' in Mandarin is '能承受/ 承受得了' in this sense

這幢大廈(能承受)七級地震 (Mandarin)

~

**Example for 'can be equal to'**

> 一個大師傅**頂得住**十個學徒 (Cantonese)/ One great master **can be equal to** ten apprentices

In Mandarin 'can be equal to' is not '受得了'. It is '抵得上'

The equivalent of '頂得住' in Mandarin is '抵得上' in this sense

一個大師傅**抵得上**十個學徒 (Mandarin)

> **The actual equivalent of 受得了 (able to endure) in Cantonese is 受得住**

**Side note**:

*In Cantonese, there's a more common phrase: '頂得順'/頂唔順. It is similar to '頂得住'/ 頂唔住' but is doesn't contain the meaning of 'can be equal to' and it is more colloquial*


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### Answer by username_2 on 2018-11-22. Score: 1

They are similar in meaning of withstanding the suffering.

The difference is, 受得了 can be referring more to long term withstanding of suffering, while 顶得住 is more referring to short term, very high intense withstanding of suffering.

Also, 受得了 is more passive while 顶得住 is more initiative.


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