bat1 coeng4不詳不详
Jyutpingbat1 coeng4
Yalebāt chèuhng
Definition
Unknown; not clear (of information, usually used in writing).
writtenother
How it's used
Reserved almost exclusively for formal written contexts like police reports, news articles, or official documents. It carries a clinical and detached tone that sounds unnatural in casual conversation. Use 唔知 or 唔清楚 instead when speaking to friends or family.
Examples
The person's identity is unknown, the police are still investigating.
Why did he leave? The reason is unknown.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this in spoken Cantonese as it sounds overly stiff and bureaucratic. It is not a direct substitute for 唔知 in daily life.
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.
