jam2 je5飲嘢饮嘢
Jyutpingjam2 je5
Yaleyám yéh
Definition
To have a drink; to drink liquid or beverages.
colloquialdrinkdaily actions
How it's used
The suffix 嘢 acts as a generic placeholder for things, making the verb sound casual and social. It is frequently used to invite friends out for a beverage, regardless of whether that beverage contains alcohol. When referring to a specific drink, you typically drop the 嘢 and use the noun directly, such as 飲咖啡 or 飲茶.
Examples
Are you free to come out for a drink later?
Related words
Common phrases
to go out for a drink
Common mistake
Do not confuse 飲嘢 with 飲茶, as the latter specifically refers to the cultural practice of eating dim sum, not just the act of drinking tea.
Grammar color guide
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Verb
Adjective
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Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
