gaa2 si2 gaan1假使間假使间
Jyutpinggaa2 si2 gaan1
Yalegá sí gāan
Definition
If; in the event that.
colloquialcommunication
How it's used
This term functions as a slightly more formal or emphatic way to introduce a hypothetical condition compared to the standard 如果. It often carries a sense of considering a less likely or more serious possibility. You will hear it more frequently in storytelling or when someone is setting up a specific, potentially problematic scenario.
Examples
If he doesn't show up, what should we do?
If it rains tomorrow, the event will be cancelled.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the Mandarin term 假設, which is a verb meaning to assume or hypothesize. In Cantonese, 假使間 is strictly a conjunction used to introduce a conditional clause.
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.
