gam6 zung1撳鐘揿钟
Jyutpinggam6 zung1
Yalegahm jūng
Definition
To ring a doorbell; to press a buzzer or bell.
colloquialdaily actionshome
How it's used
The verb 撳 is the standard colloquial term for pressing or pushing buttons in Hong Kong. It is used for anything from doorbells to elevator buttons or ATM screens. While standard written Chinese might use 按, using 撳 in speech makes your Cantonese sound much more natural and authentic.
Examples
Please ring the doorbell for me to ask them to open the door.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse 撳 with 㩒, as they are often used interchangeably in writing, but 撳 is the more common character for the action of pressing a button.
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.
