jiu1要
Jyutpingjiu1
Yaleyīu
Definition
To be going to; about to; on the verge of.
colloquialdaily actionstime
How it's used
Expressing future intent or an imminent action often relies on this word, but it frequently pairs with adverbs like 陣間 or 就 to clarify the timing. Unlike Mandarin where it can also mean 'to want', Cantonese speakers often use 想要 or 想 to express desire to avoid ambiguity. It functions as a marker of immediate future rather than a distant or hypothetical one.
Examples
I am going to go out to buy some food in a while.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 想要 when expressing desire. While it can mean 'to need' or 'to require', using it alone to mean 'I want' can sound like a demand or a statement of necessity rather than a personal preference.
Grammar color guide
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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).
