maa5 ngaa5瑪雅玛雅
Jyutpingmaa5 ngaa5
Yalemáh ngáh
Definition
Maya; an ancient Mesoamerican civilization renowned for its highly developed writing system, art, architecture, mathematics, and astronomy.
neutralother
How it's used
Refers specifically to the ancient civilization of Mesoamerica. It is almost exclusively used in historical or academic contexts when discussing archaeology or ancient cultures. Unlike many other historical terms, it does not have a common metaphorical or slang usage in daily Cantonese.
Examples
The Maya civilization is really mysterious.
Do you know how the Maya people did their calculations?
Related words
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.
