ham2埳
Jyutpingham2
Yalehám
Definition
A hole or pit; to sink down, fall, or crumble.
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How it's used
This character is a rare variant of 坎 and is almost never used in modern written or spoken Cantonese. Native speakers will use 跌 or 踩空 instead to describe falling or stepping into a hole. It is essentially a literary curiosity that you will only encounter in historical texts or specific regional dialects.
Examples
He wasn't careful while walking and fell into a hole.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this character in any modern context, as it will be completely unrecognizable to most Hong Kongers. Stick to standard characters like 跌 for falling or 窿 for hole.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
