kam4 maan5 hak1琴晚黑
Jyutpingkam4 maan5 hak1
Yalekàmh mánh hāk
Definition
(noun) last night
colloquialtime
How it's used
Adding 黑 at the end is a common regional variation that emphasizes the darkness or late hour of the previous night. It is slightly more descriptive than just saying 琴晚, which is the standard way to refer to the previous evening. You will hear it more frequently in casual conversation among older generations or in specific local dialects.
Examples
kam4 maan5 hak1 nei5 zou6 zo2 me1 aa3
琴晚黑你做咗咩呀？
What did you do last night?
ngo5 kam4 maan5 hak1 faan1 uk1 kei2 hou2 gui6
我琴晚黑返屋企好攰。
I was very tired when I got home last night.
Related words
Common phrases
kam4 maan5 hak1 gam3 je6
琴晚黑咁夜
so late last night
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly add 黑 to other time expressions like 聽日 or 今日, but it is specifically paired with 琴晚 to denote the night time period.
Tone guide
T1High level
T2High rising
T3Mid level
T4Low falling
T5Low rising
T6Low level
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.
