jat1 caan1一餐
Jyutpingjat1 caan1
Yaleyāt chāan
Definition
A meal, or a period of time spent eating.
colloquialfooddaily actions
How it's used
While technically a measure word for meals, it often carries a sense of occasion or completeness. It is frequently used when describing a specific dining experience rather than just the act of eating. You will often hear it paired with verbs like 請 to emphasize the act of hosting or treating someone.
Examples
Common mistake
Do not use it to count the number of times you eat in a day, as it is not a generic counter for every instance of eating. It implies a distinct, singular event of dining.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
