fan1 ming4分明
Jyutpingfan1 ming4
Yalefān mìhng
Definition
Clearly, obviously, or plainly.
- clearly; obviously; plainly; without doubt
- distinctly; vividly; clearly demarcated
colloquialdescriptionscommunication
How it's used
Carries a strong sense of accusation or pointing out an undeniable truth that someone else might be trying to hide or deny. It often appears in contexts where the speaker is frustrated that the reality is being ignored or misrepresented. Unlike the more neutral clearly, this word implies that the speaker has identified a specific, perhaps hidden, motive or error.
Examples
He is obviously trying to trick me, don't you believe him.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the Mandarin usage which can sometimes imply a clear distinction between two things. In Cantonese, it is almost exclusively used to emphasize that something is blatantly obvious or that someone has a clear, often negative, intention.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
