long4榔
Jyutpinglong4
Yalelòhng
Definition
An archaic term for a tall tree, or the sound of wood beating against wood.
- archaica type of tall tree
- literarythe sound of wood beating against wood
colloquialdaily actions
How it's used
Used primarily to describe the repetitive, hollow sound of wood striking wood or a similar hard surface. It often implies a rhythmic or percussive action rather than a single impact. While the character itself has archaic roots referring to specific trees, in modern spoken Cantonese, it functions almost exclusively as an onomatopoeic verb.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 揼, which refers to the act of hammering with a tool. 榔 focuses on the sound produced by the collision, whereas 揼 focuses on the force and the intent of the action.
Grammar color guide
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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).
