gwo3 jat6 san4過日晨过日晨
Jyutpinggwo3 jat6 san4
Yalegwo yaht sàhn
Definition
To do something just to kill time or pass the day.
colloquialdaily actionstime
How it's used
Focuses specifically on the act of killing time during the daylight hours, as the character 晨 implies morning or daytime. It carries a slightly aimless or leisurely connotation, often used when someone has a block of free time they need to fill before an evening appointment or the end of the day. It is rarely used to describe passing time in the evening or night.
Examples
I have nothing to do today, so I'll just go to the library to pass the time.
Related words
Common phrases
go to the park to pass the time
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe waiting for a specific short-term event, as it implies a more extended, aimless period of time. It is not interchangeable with 殺時間, which is a more direct translation of killing time and can be used for any duration.
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.
