gwaa3啩
Jyutpinggwaa3
Yalegwa
Definition
Sentence-final particle used to express the speaker's uncertainty, hesitation, or guess.
colloquialparticlecommunication
How it's used
This particle functions as a marker of speaker uncertainty, often implying a hope that the listener will confirm or deny the suspicion. It is strictly limited to the speaker's own perspective and cannot be used to describe the internal state of another person. Using it to describe someone else's feelings sounds unnatural and grammatically incorrect.
Examples
I guess this shop is closed today.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe the thoughts or feelings of others, as it is exclusively for the speaker's own conjecture. Avoid using it in formal writing, as it is strictly a spoken particle.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
