bat1 sing4不成
Jyutpingbat1 sing4
Yalebāt sìhng
Definition
Could it be; is it possible that; used to add emphasis to a rhetorical question.
colloquialcommunication
How it's used
Used primarily to express disbelief or skepticism when asking a rhetorical question. It functions as a sentence starter that frames the following inquiry as something the speaker finds unlikely or surprising. It is almost exclusively found in spoken contexts rather than formal writing.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this in a neutral or factual question, as it inherently carries a strong tone of doubt or rhetorical challenge. It is not interchangeable with standard question markers like 係咪.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
