go2 si4嗰時嗰时
Jyutpinggo2 si4
Yalegó sìh
Definition
At that time; when a certain event happened.
colloquialtime
How it's used
Interchangeable with 嗰陣 and 嗰陣時, these variations are all equally common in daily speech. It functions as a temporal marker to anchor an event to a specific past moment, often used to contrast a previous state with the present. When referring to a specific point in the future, use 嗰陣 instead, as 嗰時 is almost exclusively reserved for the past.
Examples
I had just moved in to live there at that time.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using 嗰時 to refer to a future time, as it carries a strong past tense implication. For future reference, use 嗰陣 or 到時 instead.
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.
