cung1 dung6衝動冲动
Jyutpingcung1 dung6
Yalechūng duhng
Definition
An impulse; a sudden, strong urge to do something.
colloquialemotiondescriptions
How it's used
Functions as both a noun for a sudden urge and an adjective describing someone who acts without thinking. It carries a sense of being driven by emotion rather than logic. When used as an adjective, it often appears with the particle 咁 to describe the manner of an action.
Examples
I suddenly have an urge to quit my job right now.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse it with 激動, which refers to being emotionally agitated or excited, whereas 衝動 specifically refers to the lack of restraint or the sudden impulse to act.
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.
