jat1 ng5 jat1 sap6一五一十
Jyutpingjat1 ng5 jat1 sap6
Yaleyāt ńgh yāt sahp
Definition
To tell a story or explain a situation in full detail, without hiding or omitting anything.
colloquialcommunicationother
How it's used
This idiom implies a sense of completeness and honesty, often used when someone is being interrogated or asked to confess. It carries a slightly formal or serious tone despite being a common idiom, suggesting that the speaker expects a full account without any selective omission or lying. It is frequently paired with verbs like 講 or 話.
Examples
You had better tell me exactly what happened without leaving anything out.
He told me every single detail of what happened that night.
Related words
Common phrases
to tell everything in detail
to reveal every single thing
Common mistake
Learners sometimes mistakenly use this to mean simply 'counting' or 'math' because of the numbers involved, but it is strictly used for recounting events or facts in detail.
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.
