daan1 lik6單力单力
Jyutpingdaan1 lik6
Yaledāan lihk
Definition
Sole effort or individual strength.
colloquialpeopledaily actions
How it's used
Focuses specifically on the sense of individual, unaided effort rather than just physical strength. It carries a nuance of solitude, highlighting that the person is working without the support or collaboration of others. It is frequently used to emphasize the difficulty or impressiveness of an achievement accomplished alone.
Examples
How can you move it with just your own strength?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin term 單力 which can refer to single-phase power in electrical contexts. In Cantonese, it is strictly used to describe personal effort or individual capacity.
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.
