haam4咸
Jyutpinghaam4
Yalehàahm
Definition
All; completely; entirely.
writtendescriptions
How it's used
咸 functions as a formal morpheme meaning all or everyone, appearing mostly in set idioms or literary phrases. In everyday spoken Cantonese, it is almost exclusively replaced by 全部 or 晒. Using it in casual speech outside of specific idioms will sound unnatural or archaic.
Examples
All of them are soaking wet.
Related words
Common phrases
suitable for all ages
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the common adjective 鹹, which means salty. While they share the same character in many contexts, their meanings are completely distinct and context dependent.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
