ho4 soeng4何嘗何尝
Jyutpingho4 soeng4
Yalehòh sèuhng
Definition
Used in a rhetorical question to express denial or a negative assertion.
colloquialcommunication
How it's used
Employs a rhetorical question structure to emphasize that the speaker actually agrees with the sentiment or has experienced the situation. It carries a slightly formal or literary tone despite being used in spoken Cantonese to add emphasis. It is almost always paired with a negative word like 唔 to create the double negative effect that confirms the positive.
Examples
Doesn't he want to go on a trip too?
Related words
Common phrases
isn't that exactly the case
wouldn't one want to
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a literal question about whether something happened, but it is strictly a rhetorical device to express a strong opinion. Using it in casual, everyday conversation can sound overly dramatic or like a line from a period drama if not used carefully.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
