jin4 zi1 gwo3 zou2言之過早言之过早
Jyutpingjin4 zi1 gwo3 zou2
Yaleyìhn jī gwo jóu
Definition
Too early to make a conclusion or give an opinion.
colloquialcommunicationdescriptions
How it's used
This phrase is a formal idiom often used in more serious or analytical discussions to temper someone's premature conclusion. While it sounds slightly literary, it is frequently used in spoken Cantonese when someone wants to sound objective or cautious about a prediction. It functions as a predicate adjective and is almost always preceded by 未免 to emphasize that the conclusion is excessively early.
Examples
It is too early to say for sure that he will win.
You think this plan will fail? Isn't that a bit premature?
Common phrases
a bit too early to say
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use it as a verb phrase, but it is an idiomatic expression that functions as a descriptor. Avoid using it in casual, lighthearted contexts, as it carries a tone of intellectual distance.
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.
