gwai3 dung6悸動悸动
Jyutpinggwai3 dung6
Yalegwai duhng
Definition
To feel nervous or excited, causing the heart to race or throb.
writtenemotionbody
How it's used
悸動 is a literary term that is rarely used in casual, everyday spoken Cantonese. Most native speakers would prefer to use phrases like 心跳加速 or 緊張 to describe the physical sensation of a racing heart. It is more commonly encountered in written prose, song lyrics, or romantic narratives to evoke a sense of emotional flutter.
Examples
Whenever I see them, my heart starts racing.
Are you feeling your heart racing because you are nervous?
Related words
Common phrases
a flutter of the heart
Common mistake
Do not use this word in casual conversation as it sounds overly poetic or dramatic. Using it to describe a simple medical condition like tachycardia would be inappropriate and confusing.
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.
