gang2 can3鯁嚫鲠嚫
Jyutpinggang2 can3
Yalegáng chan
Definition
To choke on food, a bone, or other swallowed objects.
colloquialbodyfood
How it's used
This verb specifically describes the physical sensation of food or an object getting stuck in the throat while swallowing. It is almost exclusively used for accidental choking during eating or drinking. Unlike the general term for choking, it implies a sudden, involuntary blockage that causes immediate distress.
Examples
Be careful when eating fish, don't choke on it.
He ate his meal too fast and ended up choking.
Common phrases
choke in the throat
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the general feeling of having a sore throat or a lump in the throat from crying, but it is strictly reserved for the mechanical act of choking on a foreign object.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Classifier
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
