jaa5 jyu5也與也与
Jyutpingjaa5 jyu5
Yaleyáh yúh
Definition
A final particle or remark used to express doubt or skepticism.
colloquialparticle
How it's used
The term 咩 is a sentence-final particle that functions as a tag question to express skepticism, disbelief, or a rhetorical challenge. It often implies that the speaker finds the preceding statement unlikely or contrary to their expectations. Unlike standard questions, it carries a strong tone of doubt rather than a genuine request for information.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 咩 with 嗎, but they are not interchangeable. While 嗎 is used for neutral yes or no questions, 咩 specifically adds a layer of doubt or rhetorical questioning that suggests the speaker already has a negative opinion or suspicion about the matter.
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).
