gaau3 maan6 zung1校慢鐘校慢钟
Jyutpinggaau3 maan6 zung1
Yalegaau maahn jūng
Definition
To set a clock or watch back, making it display an earlier time.
colloquialtimedaily actions
How it's used
Commonly used when someone wants to trick themselves into being early for appointments or to avoid being late. It specifically refers to the act of adjusting the time on a clock to a point earlier than the actual time. While it sounds like a technical instruction, it is frequently used in casual advice or when explaining one's own time management habits.
Examples
You might as well set the clock back ten minutes.
Related words
Common phrases
set the clock back ten minutes
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 校快鐘, which means to set the clock forward. Learners sometimes mix up the direction of the adjustment, so remember that 慢 means slow or behind, and 快 means fast or ahead.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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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.
