gam1 tin1今天
Jyutpinggam1 tin1
Yalegām tīn
Definition
Today
colloquialtime
How it's used
Cantonese speakers almost exclusively use 今日 instead of 今天 in spoken language. Using 今天 can sound overly formal, literary, or like someone reading from a script. It is perfectly acceptable in written contexts, but in daily conversation, 今日 is the standard choice.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often use 今天 because it is taught in Mandarin textbooks, but it sounds unnatural in a casual Hong Kong setting. Stick to 今日 to sound like a local.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
