gau3 cing3夠秤够秤
Jyutpinggau3 cing3
Yalegau ching
Definition
To come of age, or to meet the minimum age requirement for a certain activity.
colloquialpeopledaily actions
How it's used
Originating from the practice of weighing goods to ensure they meet a standard, this term metaphorically applies to people reaching the legal age threshold. It is almost exclusively used in informal contexts to discuss age restrictions for activities like driving, drinking, or entering specific venues. It carries a slightly playful or casual tone compared to formal phrasing.
Examples
Are you old enough yet? You aren't allowed to go in and play.
He is finally old enough to take the driving test this year.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe physical maturity or reaching a certain height, as it specifically refers to meeting a legal or administrative age requirement.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
