gwan3 bo1棍波
Jyutpinggwan3 bo1
Yalegwan bō
Definition
Manual transmission or manual gear shift in a vehicle.
colloquialtransport
How it's used
The term derives from the English word gear, which is phonetically adapted as 波 in Cantonese automotive contexts. While automatic transmission is referred to as 自動波, manual transmission is specifically called 棍波 because it requires the driver to physically manipulate a gear stick, or 棍. It is a very common distinction made when discussing driving licenses or car preferences in Hong Kong.
Measure word
bou6部bouhExamples
Are you taking your driving test in a manual or automatic car?
I'm used to driving manual cars, so switching to automatic feels really strange.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse the literal meaning of 棍, which is a stick or rod, with the automotive context here. Learners sometimes mistakenly use it to describe other types of manual labor, but it is strictly reserved for the gear shifting mechanism in vehicles.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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).
