hak1 mak6 mak6黑墨墨
Jyutpinghak1 mak6 mak6
Yalehāk mahk mahk
Definition
Pitch-black; jet-black or very dark.
colloquialdescriptionsnature
How it's used
Reduplicated adjectives like this often carry an emphatic, slightly descriptive tone that paints a vivid picture of the darkness. It is specifically used for physical darkness, such as a room without lights or a night sky, rather than metaphorical darkness like a bad mood or a secret.
Examples
The room is pitch black, turn on the light.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe dark colors of objects like clothes or hair, where you would use 黑漆漆 or just 黑. It is reserved for environments or spaces that lack light.
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.
