haak1喀
Jyutpinghaak1
Yalehāak
Definition
Onomatopoeia for the sound of coughing or vomiting, also used in transliterations.
colloquialbodyhealth
How it's used
Primarily functions as an onomatopoeia for the sharp, dry sound of a cough or a retching motion. It is rarely used as a standalone verb and almost always appears in reduplicated form or as part of a descriptive phrase to mimic the specific texture of the sound. Beyond this, it is almost exclusively reserved for phonetic transliterations of foreign names or terms.
Examples
He coughed with a 'ka' sound, looking like he was in pain.
My throat feels uncomfortable, coughing with a 'ka-ka' sound.
Related words
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.
