caam4漸渐
Jyutpingcaam4
Yalechàahm
Definition
Towering, lofty, or high and steep.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
Describes a slope or mountain that rises sharply or is difficult to climb due to its incline. It is primarily used in spoken Cantonese to emphasize the severity of an angle or gradient.
Examples
That mountain is very steep, it is hard to walk up.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 漸, which is often used in written Chinese for the adverb meaning gradually. In spoken Cantonese, the word for steep is often pronounced with a specific tone that distinguishes it from the literary adverb.
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.
