gei2 go3 zung1幾個鐘几个钟
Jyutpinggei2 go3 zung1
Yalegéi go jūng
Definition
Several hours.
colloquialtime
How it's used
鐘 is the standard colloquial term for hour in Cantonese, replacing the more formal 小時. It functions as a noun that includes its own measure word, so you do not need to add 個 before it when counting. It is very common to hear this used with 咗 to emphasize the duration of an action that has already been ongoing.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly say 一個鐘頭 or 幾個鐘頭, but adding 頭 is unnecessary and sounds less natural in spoken Cantonese. Simply using 鐘 is sufficient and more idiomatic.
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.
