caam3懺忏
Jyutpingcaam3
Yalechaam
Definition
To repent, feel remorse, or be penitent.
colloquialemotion
How it's used
Used primarily to describe a deep, internal sense of regret or contrition for one's actions. It functions as an adjective in spoken Cantonese, often modified by intensifiers like 好. It carries a heavier emotional weight than simply feeling sorry, implying a desire to make amends or seek forgiveness.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the formal term 懺悔, which is a noun or verb used in religious or literary contexts. In daily speech, 懺 is used as an adjective to describe the state of feeling remorseful, whereas 懺悔 is rarely used in casual conversation.
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.
