faak1沸
Jyutpingfaak1
Yalefāk
Definition
To boil; to gush
writtendaily actionsother
How it's used
Used primarily in scientific or formal contexts like 沸點 to describe the physical state of boiling. In everyday spoken Cantonese, people almost exclusively use 滾 to describe water that has reached its boiling point. You will rarely hear a native speaker use 沸 as a standalone verb in casual conversation.
Examples
bou1 seoi2 bou1 dou3 fai3 zo2 mei6 aa4
煲水煲到沸咗未呀？
Has the water boiled yet?
di1 seoi2 fai3 tang4 gan2 siu2 sam1 tong3 can1
啲水沸騰緊，小心燙親。
The water is boiling, be careful not to get burned.
Related words
Common phrases
fai3 dim2
沸點
boiling point
fai3 tang4
沸騰
to boil
Common mistake
Do not use 沸 in casual speech to describe boiling water, as it sounds overly formal or academic. Use 滾 instead to sound natural.
Tone guide
T1High level
T2High rising
T3Mid level
T4Low falling
T5Low rising
T6Low level
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.
