kwan3睏困
Jyutpingkwan3
Yalekwan
Definition
Sleepy or tired.
colloquialbodydaily actions
How it's used
While 睏 is technically the character for sleepy, it is rarely used in spoken Cantonese compared to the compound 眼瞓. Using 睏 on its own can sound slightly literary or formal, whereas 眼瞓 is the standard way to express the physical sensation of needing sleep. You will often hear people use 瞓覺 for the act of sleeping, but use 眼瞓 to describe the state of being tired.
Examples
Are you very sleepy? Why not go home early to rest.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 睏 with 瞓, which is the verb meaning to sleep. Remember that 睏 describes the state of being tired, while 瞓 is the action of closing your eyes and resting.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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).
