gan2 jiu3緊要紧要

Jyutpinggan2 jiu3

Yalegán yiu

形容詞Very common

Definition

Crucial, important, or vital.

colloquialdescriptions

How it's used

Use 緊要 when emphasizing the urgency or the high stakes of a situation, as it carries a stronger sense of necessity than the more neutral 重要. It often appears in negative constructions like 唔緊要 to mean it does not matter or it is fine. When used as an adverbial intensifier, it can also mean extremely, such as in 痛緊要 meaning extremely painful.

Examples

le1呢gin2件si6事hou2好gan2緊jiu3要，nei5你cin1千kei4祈m4唔hou2好mong4忘gei3記aa4呀。

This matter is very important, make sure you don't forget it.

gau3究ging2竟bin1邊joeng6樣je5嘢gan2緊jiu3要di1啲？nei5你nam2諗cing1清co2楚mei6未aa4呀？

Which thing is more important? Have you thought it through yet?

Common phrases

m4唔gan2緊jiu3要

it does not matter

gan2緊jiu3要gwaan1關tau4頭

critical moment

Common mistake

Do not confuse 緊要 with 緊張, which means nervous or tense. While both relate to high-pressure situations, 緊要 describes the importance of the task itself, whereas 緊張 describes the emotional state of a person.