hei2 gaang1起更
Jyutpinghei2 gaang1
Yalehéi gāang
Definition
To begin the night watch, or to sound the night watches in ancient times.
datedtimeother
How it's used
Historically, this refers to the traditional practice of beating a drum or gong to signal the start of the night watch, which was divided into five shifts. It is now almost exclusively used in historical contexts, period dramas, or as a metaphorical way to describe starting a late-night shift. You will rarely hear it in modern daily life unless discussing traditional customs or literature.
Examples
In the old days, night watchmen would start their rounds every night.
Related words
Common phrases
to beat the night watch
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.
