mei6 gei2未幾未几
Jyutpingmei6 gei2
Yalemeih géi
Definition
Soon; after a short period of time.
writtentime
How it's used
Carries a formal or literary tone that is rarely heard in casual spoken Cantonese. It is primarily encountered in written reports, news articles, or formal storytelling. For everyday conversation, native speakers almost exclusively use 冇耐 or 唔使幾耐 instead.
Examples
Not long after he left, the phone rang.
Soon after, everyone dispersed and went home.
Related words
Common phrases
shortly after
Common mistake
Avoid using this in casual conversation, as it sounds overly stiff or like someone reading from a book. Stick to 冇耐 to sound natural.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
