jam2 jap1飲泣饮泣
Jyutpingjam2 jap1
Yaleyám yāp
Definition
To weep in silence with tears streaming down one's face.
writtenemotion
How it's used
This term is primarily used in written or formal contexts to describe a specific, restrained way of crying. While it literally means to drink one's own tears, it carries a sense of suppressed sorrow or hidden grief. You will rarely hear it in casual, everyday conversation, where people would simply say 喊 or 喊到收唔到聲.
Examples
She is hiding in the room weeping silently.
Why are you sitting there weeping silently all by yourself?
Related words
Common phrases
weeping silently to oneself
Common mistake
Do not use this word to describe loud sobbing or wailing, as it specifically implies a quiet, internalised form of distress. Using it for a child throwing a tantrum would sound unnatural and overly dramatic.
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.
