cam4 jat6尋日寻日
Jyutpingcam4 jat6
Yalechàhm yaht
Definition
Yesterday
colloquialtime
How it's used
Pronunciation often shifts towards cam4 jat6 in rapid speech, though the written form remains standard. It is the default way to refer to the previous day in all informal and semi-formal contexts. Avoid using the Mandarin-influenced zuo6 jat6, which sounds unnatural to native speakers.
Examples
I went to the library to read books yesterday.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse this with 琴日, which is a common variant spelling that is phonetically identical but technically non-standard in writing.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
