hek3 ging1吃驚吃惊
Jyutpinghek3 ging1
Yalehek gīng
Definition
To be shocked, startled, or surprised.
colloquialemotion
How it's used
Cantonese speakers rarely use the formal term 吃驚 in daily speech, preferring 嚇親 or 驚訝 instead. 嚇親 is the most versatile way to describe being startled or shocked by an event or person. It carries a sense of suddenness that fits perfectly into casual conversation.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using 吃驚 in spoken contexts as it sounds like a written or Mandarin loanword. Use 嚇親 for physical startle and 驚訝 for emotional surprise.
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.
