min5 koeng5勉強勉强
Jyutpingmin5 koeng5
Yalemíhn kéuhng
Definition
Reluctant, unwilling, or forced to do something.
colloquialemotiondescriptions
How it's used
Often used to describe a situation where someone is forced to do something against their will or is putting on a fake smile. It implies a lack of genuine enthusiasm or comfort in the action being performed. When used as a verb, it carries the sense of coercing oneself or others to complete a task despite resistance.
Examples
They look reluctant, are they feeling unwell?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the Mandarin usage where it can mean to study hard or make an effort. In Cantonese, it almost exclusively refers to being reluctant, forced, or doing something against one's own desire.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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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.
