bun3 jat6半日
Jyutpingbun3 jat6
Yalebun yaht
Definition
Half a day, or a long period of time within a single day.
- half a day
- figurativea long period of time within a day
colloquialtime
How it's used
Beyond the literal meaning of twelve hours, this term is frequently used as a hyperbole to express frustration about waiting for an excessively long time. It functions similarly to saying "ages" or "forever" in English when someone is impatient. It is common to hear people complain that they have been waiting for half a day even if only an hour has passed.
Examples
I took half a day off today to see the doctor.
You have been waiting here for half a day, why haven't you left yet?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin usage where it might refer to a specific morning or afternoon shift. In Cantonese, it is almost always used to emphasize the duration of an event or the length of a wait.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
