baau3 po3 jam1爆破音
Jyutpingbaau3 po3 jam1
Yalebaau po yām
Definition
Plosive; a stop consonant.
neutralcommunicationother
How it's used
Primarily used in linguistic or phonetic contexts, this term describes sounds produced by completely stopping airflow and then releasing it suddenly. It is a technical term rather than a word used in casual daily chatter, though it frequently appears in English learning classrooms in Hong Kong.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
When pronouncing this plosive, remember to let a puff of air out.
Do you know which letters are classified as plosives?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the general concept of an explosive sound or a loud noise, but it specifically refers to the phonetic category of consonants like p, t, and k.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
