jat1 hau2 hei3一口氣一口气

Jyutpingjat1 hau2 hei3

Yaleyāt háu hei

副詞Very common

Definition

In one breath; without a break; all at once.

colloquialdaily actionsdescriptions

How it's used

Focus on the sense of continuous, uninterrupted action rather than the literal act of breathing. It is frequently used to describe tasks that are completed surprisingly quickly or with great intensity, such as reading a long book or climbing many flights of stairs. The phrase emphasizes the lack of pauses or breaks in the middle of an effort.

Examples

keoi5佢jat1一hau2口hei3氣jam2飲saai3晒seng4成bui1杯dung3凍ling4檸caa4茶。

He drank the whole glass of iced lemon tea in one go.

nei5你ho2可m4唔ho2可ji5以jat1一hau2口hei3氣gong2講jyun4完gin2件si6事aa4呀？

Can you finish telling the whole story without stopping?

Common phrases

jat1一hau2口hei3氣paau2跑jyun4完

finish running in one go

jat1一hau2口hei3氣gong2講saai3晒

say everything without stopping

Common mistake

Avoid using this to describe a single, short action that happens instantly, as it specifically implies a duration of effort that would normally be broken up into smaller parts.