naa4 sau2拿手
Jyutpingnaa4 sau2
Yalenàh sáu
Definition
Good at, skilled in, or adept at something.
colloquialdescriptionsdaily actions
How it's used
Focuses specifically on a personal specialty or a signature skill rather than general competence. It often implies a sense of pride or confidence, suggesting that the person can perform the task effortlessly or better than others. While it functions as an adjective, it is frequently used with the particle 嘅 to describe a noun or as a predicate.
Examples
Cooking is what he is best at.
Which sport are you best at?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin verb 拿, which means to take or hold. In Cantonese, 拿手 is strictly an adjective describing a skill or expertise, never a physical action of grabbing something.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
