go3 zan6個陣个阵
Jyutpinggo3 zan6
Yalego jahn
Definition
Back then; at that time.
colloquialtime
How it's used
Focuses on a specific moment or period in the past rather than a general duration. It functions as a temporal marker that often sits at the beginning of a sentence or right after the subject. It is highly colloquial and carries a sense of nostalgia or reflection when recounting past events.
Examples
I was still studying back then.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 嗰陣, which specifically means 'that time' or 'that moment' and carries a more demonstrative force. While they are often interchangeable in casual speech, 個陣 is more frequently used as a general temporal adverb for 'back then'.
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.
