bat1 hang2不肯
Jyutpingbat1 hang2
Yalebāt háng
Definition
Unwilling; to refuse to do something.
colloquialdaily actionsemotion
How it's used
The character 不 is rarely used in spoken Cantonese, where 唔 is the standard negation. Using 唔肯 is far more natural than 不肯 in daily conversation, as the latter sounds overly formal or literary. It implies a stubborn refusal or a firm decision against doing something, rather than just a lack of ability.
Related words
Common phrases
refuse to admit one's mistake
refuse to cooperate
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use 不肯 because it appears in written Chinese, but it sounds stiff and unnatural when spoken. Always use 唔肯 to sound like a local.
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.
