kam4 maan5琴晚
Jyutpingkam4 maan5
Yalekàhm máahn
Definition
Yesterday evening or last night.
colloquialtime
How it's used
This term is the standard way to refer to the previous night in spoken Cantonese. It functions as a time adverbial and is placed before the verb or at the very beginning of a sentence. While it is strictly colloquial, it is universally used in all informal settings.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use 昨晚, which is the formal written equivalent. Using 昨晚 in casual conversation sounds overly stiff or like reading from a textbook.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
