gaam1尷尴
Jyutpinggaam1
Yalegāam
Definition
Embarrassed or awkward; bound by circumstances.
colloquialemotion
How it's used
Rarely used on its own as a single character, this morpheme almost exclusively appears in the disyllabic compound 尷尬. It describes a specific social tension or feeling of being caught in an uncomfortable situation. Native speakers often use it to describe the atmosphere of a social interaction rather than just an internal feeling of shame.
Examples
It is really awkward to see my ex.
It is awkward to ask people about their salary like that.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners sometimes try to use 尷 alone as an adjective, but it must be paired with 尬 to form the complete word 尷尬. Using it in isolation will sound incomplete or confusing to native speakers.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
