daan1 ngaan5單眼单眼
Jyutpingdaan1 ngaan5
Yaledāan ngáahn
Definition
To wink; to close one eye to get someone's attention.
colloquialbodydaily actions
How it's used
Winking in Cantonese is often used to signal a secret or a shared joke between two people. It carries a playful or conspiratorial tone, similar to how it is used in English. Be aware that it can occasionally be interpreted as flirtatious depending on the context and the relationship between the speakers.
Examples
He suddenly winked at me, it scared me to death.
Related words
Common phrases
to wink at someone
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 眨眼, which refers to the involuntary act of blinking both eyes. Using 眨眼 to mean winking will cause confusion as it implies a normal physiological reflex.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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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.
