jat1 bun1一般
Jyutpingjat1 bun1
Yaleyāt būn
Definition
General, ordinary, or common; describing the majority of circumstances.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
Functions as both an adverb meaning 'usually' and an adjective meaning 'average' or 'mediocre'. When used as an adjective to describe quality, it often carries a slightly negative connotation, implying that something is unremarkable or lacks excellence. In casual speech, it is frequently paired with a particle like 咋 to emphasize that the quality is nothing special.
Examples
He usually takes the bus to work.
The food at this restaurant is just average.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using it to mean 'generally' in the sense of 'mostly' or 'by and large' as one might in Mandarin, as Cantonese speakers prefer words like 大部分 or 普遍 for those contexts.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
