gaa3 zik6 lin4 sing4價值連城价值连城
Jyutpinggaa3 zik6 lin4 sing4
Yalega jihk lìhn sìhng
Definition
Invaluable; priceless; extremely valuable, as if worth several cities.
writtendescriptionsmoney
How it's used
This idiom is reserved for items of immense historical, artistic, or material worth, such as museum-grade artifacts or legendary treasures. Using it to describe everyday expensive goods like a designer handbag or a new phone sounds hyperbolic and sarcastic. It carries a sense of gravity and rarity that makes it ill-suited for casual consumerism.
Examples
This antique is invaluable, please make sure you don't break it.
Do you think this piece of jewelry is invaluable?
Related words
Common phrases
an invaluable treasure
an invaluable antique
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use this to mean simply expensive, but it specifically implies a value so high that it is beyond standard monetary calculation. Avoid using it for things that are merely pricey or high-end.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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).
