bat1不
Jyutpingbat1
Yalebāt
Definition
No; not; a negator used primarily in written Chinese, idioms, and compound words.
writtenother
How it's used
Functions primarily as a formal negator in Cantonese, appearing almost exclusively in set phrases, idioms, or written contexts. Spoken Cantonese almost always prefers 唔 for negation in everyday speech. Using this in casual conversation can make you sound overly formal, academic, or like you are reading from a script.
Examples
The two of them are completely evenly matched.
This matter is really self-evident.
Related words
Common phrases
be there or be square
shady or dubious
Common mistake
Beginners often try to use this as a direct substitute for 唔 in daily sentences, which sounds unnatural and incorrect to native speakers. Remember that this is a morpheme restricted to specific lexical items rather than a general-purpose negator.
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.
