hou2 soeng2好想
Jyutpinghou2 soeng2
Yalehóu séung
Definition
To want or wish for something very much, or to miss someone or something dearly.
- to really want to; to wish to
- to miss someone or something deeply
colloquialemotion
How it's used
While 好想 is commonly used to express missing someone or something, it is also frequently used to mean 'really want to' do an action. The context usually clarifies whether the speaker is expressing nostalgia or desire. When talking about people, it carries a strong emotional weight and is often followed by a sentence-final particle like 呀 to soften the tone.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
really miss home / really want to go home
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the Mandarin usage where 想 specifically means to miss. In Cantonese, 好想 is ambiguous and heavily relies on context to distinguish between 'missing' and 'wanting to do something'.
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.
