naa5 mo1那麼那么
Jyutpingnaa5 mo1
Yalenáh mō
Definition
So; such; like that; to a certain degree or in a certain way.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
Native speakers almost exclusively use 咁 instead of 那麼 in spoken Cantonese. Using 那麼 sounds like a direct translation from Mandarin and will make your speech sound unnatural or overly formal. It functions as an adverb of degree or manner, often placed before adjectives or verbs to indicate intensity or similarity.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use 那麼 because they see it in written Chinese, but it is not part of the natural spoken lexicon. Always substitute it with 咁 to sound like a local.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
