haak3 jat1 tiu3嚇一跳吓一跳
Jyutpinghaak3 jat1 tiu3
Yalehaak yāt tiu
Definition
To startle or scare someone; to give somebody a sudden fright.
colloquialemotiondaily actions
How it's used
This expression is a vivid way to describe a sudden, momentary shock or startle. It is frequently used with the aspect marker 咗 to indicate that the startling event has already occurred. It focuses on the physical reaction of jumping or being taken aback rather than long term fear.
Examples
You suddenly walked up to me and really gave me a scare!
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 嚇親, but 嚇一跳 specifically emphasizes the suddenness of the reaction, whereas 嚇親 is a more general term for being frightened by something.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
