hung3哄
Jyutpinghung3
Yalehung
Definition
To coax, cajole, or persuade someone into doing something.
colloquialpeopleemotion
How it's used
The character 氹 is the standard way to write this word in Cantonese, while 哄 is often used in written contexts or borrowed from Mandarin. It implies a gentle, sometimes manipulative, effort to make someone feel better or agree to something they initially resisted. It is frequently used when dealing with children or romantic partners.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the Mandarin character 哄, which can also mean to make a loud noise or to jeer. In Cantonese, the specific character 氹 is preferred to avoid ambiguity and to capture the nuance of gentle persuasion.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
