jat1 faan1一番
Jyutpingjat1 faan1
Yaleyāt fāan
Definition
One time, once, or a period of time; often used to describe a course of action or state of affairs.
colloquialdaily actionsdescriptions
How it's used
Functions as a verbal complement to indicate that an action is performed with a sense of effort or focus for a short duration. It often carries a nuance of surprise or relief, implying that the subject usually behaves differently. It is frequently paired with adjectives like 認真 or 努力 to emphasize a temporary change in attitude.
Examples
Be serious for once, stop playing around all the time.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin usage where it can mean a round of something or a general measure of effort. In Cantonese, it specifically highlights a singular, notable instance of an action that breaks a habitual pattern.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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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).
