fan5奮奋
Jyutpingfan5
Yalefáhn
Definition
To exert oneself or act energetically.
neutralworkdescriptions
How it's used
This character is almost exclusively a bound morpheme in Cantonese, meaning it rarely stands alone as a verb in daily speech. It appears primarily in compound words that describe a state of high motivation or intense effort. You will encounter it most frequently in formal or written contexts, even when the surrounding sentence uses colloquial grammar.
Examples
He studies very hard and reviews every day.
Let's all work hard together to make this project a success.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake it for a standalone verb like 努力, but it requires a second character to form a complete word. Using it by itself in a sentence will sound unnatural or incomplete to native speakers.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
