cung5 jam1重音
Jyutpingcung5 jam1
Yalechúhng yām
Definition
Stress or accent; the stronger syllable in a word.
neutralcommunication
How it's used
Focusing on stress is crucial for natural pronunciation in Cantonese, although Cantonese is primarily a tonal language rather than a stress-timed one. Learners often mistakenly apply English word stress patterns to Cantonese, which can obscure the lexical tones. Use this term specifically when discussing the relative prominence of syllables within multi-syllabic compound words or phrases.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Where is the stress for this word?
You should pay attention to the stress when you read it so it sounds better.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the concept of tones, which are fixed for every syllable. Applying English style stress to a syllable does not change its tone, but it can make your speech sound unnatural if you overemphasize the wrong parts of a word.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- NegationHow to say no, not, didn't, and don't in Cantonese. The four main negation words and when to use each one.
- Numbers and moneyCounting, talking about money, and asking how much things cost. Includes the two words for two and the everyday words for dollars and cents.
- 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.
