gaap3 baan2夾板夹板
Jyutpinggaap3 baan2
Yalegaap báan
Definition
Plywood; a wooden board made by pressing multiple layers of veneer together.
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How it's used
Beyond its literal meaning as a construction material, this term is frequently used metaphorically in the phrase 夾心人 to describe someone caught in the middle of a conflict between two parties. It carries a sense of being squeezed or pressured from both sides, much like the middle layer of a sandwich or a piece of plywood pressed between others.
Measure word
faai3塊faiExamples
This piece of plywood is too thin and not strong enough to bear weight.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the term 夾板氣, which specifically refers to the frustration or resentment felt by someone who is caught in the middle of a dispute between two people, such as a husband being stuck between his mother and his wife.
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.
