gung1㧬
Jyutpinggung1
Yalegūng
Definition
To push from behind, or to raise, bow, and salute with folded hands.
- to push from behind
- to raise; to fold the hands on the breast, bow, or salute
colloquialdaily actions
How it's used
Primarily used in spoken Cantonese to describe the physical act of pushing someone from behind, often with the hands or body. It carries a sense of suddenness or force, distinguishing it from general pushing verbs like 推. While it has historical roots in bowing or folding hands, those meanings are effectively absent in modern daily speech.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 推, which is a neutral term for pushing. Using 㧬 implies a specific, often physical or slightly aggressive nudge or shove from behind.
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.
