gam3 sik1禁色
Jyutpinggam3 sik1
Yalegam sīk
Definition
To abstain from sex; to practice celibacy.
colloquialpeopledaily actions
How it's used
Refers specifically to the act of abstaining from or forbidding sexual intercourse, often in a context of religious, medical, or disciplinary restriction. It carries a slightly formal or clinical tone compared to more casual slang for sex, making it sound more like a deliberate rule or a period of self-imposed discipline.
Examples
When they were dating, their family forbade them from having sex.
Why have you been abstaining from sex for so long?
Common phrases
strictly abstain from sex
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin term for 'banned colors' or political censorship, as the Cantonese usage is strictly focused on sexual abstinence.
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.
