hoeng2嚮
Jyutpinghoeng2
Yalehéung
Definition
To tend toward, face, or direct.
colloquialplaces
How it's used
While 嚮 is technically a variant of 向, it is almost exclusively used in modern Cantonese as a phonetic substitute for 喺 when meaning at or in a location. You will frequently see it written in informal text messages or social media posts to represent the sound of being at a place. It is rarely used in its original sense of direction except in specific compound words like 嚮往.
Examples
He really yearns to live abroad.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the formal preposition 向, which means towards. Remember that when you see 嚮 in casual writing, it is usually just a shorthand for 喺, not a directional indicator.
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.
