bat1 ji5不已
Jyutpingbat1 ji5
Yalebāt yíh
Definition
Endlessly; incessantly; continuing without stopping.
writtendescriptions
How it's used
Unlike its Mandarin counterpart which often appears in formal written prose, this expression is rarely used in spoken Cantonese. Native speakers almost always prefer using phrases like 唔停得 or 一直落去 to convey the same sense of continuous action. If you hear it in speech, it usually carries a slightly dramatic or literary tone.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use this as a direct translation for any kind of continuous action, but it specifically implies an inability to stop or a state of excess. It is not a standard adverb for simply describing something that is happening for a long time.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
