man4 dak1聞得闻得
Jyutpingman4 dak1
Yalemàhn dāk
Definition
To hear of something, or to be able to smell something.
- to hear of; to hear rumor of
- to be able to smell
colloquialbodydaily actions
How it's used
This construction uses the potential complement 得 to indicate the ability to perceive a smell or the possibility of having heard about a piece of information. It functions similarly to the potential form of verbs like 睇得 or 食得, focusing on the capacity to perform the action. When used for smelling, it often implies a physical ability or the presence of a strong enough odor to be detected.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
can smell a foul odor
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 聽得, which specifically refers to the ability to hear sounds or understand spoken language. Use 聞得 only for olfactory perception or the idiomatic sense of hearing news or rumors.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
