jam2 zeoi3飲醉饮醉
Jyutpingjam2 zeoi3
Yaleyám jeui
Definition
To get drunk; to drink alcohol to the point of losing cognitive clarity and coordination.
colloquialdrinkdaily actions
How it's used
Focuses on the state of being intoxicated rather than the act of drinking itself. It is frequently used with the aspect marker 咗 to describe someone who has already reached the point of intoxication. It carries a slightly informal tone and is often used as a warning or a description of someone's current condition.
Examples
He got drunk last night and went straight to sleep when he got home.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 飲醉 with 醉, but 飲醉 specifically highlights the process of drinking leading to the state of intoxication. Using 醉 alone is more general and can apply to being drunk on things other than alcohol, such as being drunk on success or love.
Grammar color guide
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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.
