gong2 sam1 go2 geoi3講心嗰句讲心嗰句
Jyutpinggong2 sam1 go2 geoi3
Yalegóng sām gó geui
Definition
To tell the truth; to speak from the bottom of one's heart.
colloquialcommunicationemotion
How it's used
This phrase acts as a conversational marker to signal that the speaker is about to be completely honest or vulnerable. It carries a sense of sincerity that goes beyond a simple 'honestly' or 'frankly', as it implies the speaker is revealing their true feelings from the heart. It is often used to soften the blow of a criticism or to invite a genuine opinion from the listener.
Examples
To tell you the truth, you really shouldn't have done that.
Honestly speaking, what do you think of this plan?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners sometimes mistake this for a formal way to start a sentence, but it is strictly conversational. Using it in a professional email or a formal essay will sound jarringly out of place.
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.
