kwan3困
Jyutpingkwan3
Yalekwan
Definition
To trap, surround, or confine within a limited space so that escape is impossible.
colloquialdaily actionsother
How it's used
Used primarily to describe physical confinement or being stuck in a situation where movement is restricted. It carries a sense of helplessness or being unable to escape a specific space, whether it is a room, a building, or a difficult circumstance. When referring to being stuck in traffic, Cantonese speakers often use 塞車 instead of this word.
Examples
They have been trapped inside the elevator for a long time.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin usage where it can mean sleepy or tired. In Cantonese, being sleepy is expressed as 眼瞓.
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).
