gung1功
Jyutpinggung1
Yalegūng
Definition
Achievement, merit, or accomplishment.
neutralworkdescriptions
How it's used
Functions primarily as a bound morpheme in compound words rather than as a standalone noun in modern spoken Cantonese. It carries a formal or literary weight, often appearing in contexts related to work performance, historical feats, or moral contributions. When discussing personal achievements in casual speech, speakers typically prefer using 成就 or 表現 instead.
Examples
He made a great achievement this time, the boss is very happy.
Do you think what he did this time counts as a merit?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use 功 as a standalone noun to mean 'success' or 'result', but it usually requires a supporting character like 勞 in 功勞 or 績 in 功績 to be grammatically natural.
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.
