kung4 hong6窮巷穷巷
Jyutpingkung4 hong6
Yalekùhng hohng
Definition
A dead end or blind alley; having no way out.
colloquialplaces
How it's used
Used primarily to describe physical dead ends or cul-de-sacs in urban planning. It carries a slightly more literary or descriptive tone than the more common colloquial term 死路. While it can metaphorically represent a lack of options, it is less frequently used in abstract contexts compared to the more idiomatic 死胡同.
Measure word
tiu4條tìuhExamples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the Mandarin term 窮巷 which can imply poverty, whereas in Cantonese it almost exclusively refers to a physical path with no exit.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
