ngaam4 ngaam4 caam4 caam4巖巖巉巉岩岩巉巉

Jyutpingngaam4 ngaam4 caam4 caam4

Yalengàahm ngàahm chàahm chàahm

Definition

Rough and uneven, craggy, or jagged; can also describe someone with unpleasant or unbearable characteristics.

rough, uneven, craggy, or jagged
figurativehaving unpleasant, difficult, or unbearable characteristics

colloquialdescriptions

How it's used

Describes anything that is physically jagged, uneven, or metaphorically difficult and unpleasant. It is frequently used to describe people who are stubborn, awkward, or have a prickly personality that makes social interaction uncomfortable. The repetition of the characters emphasizes the sense of extreme irregularity or harshness.

Examples

tiu4條lou6路gam3咁ngaam4巖ngaam4巖caam4巉caam4巉，hou2好naan4難hang4行aa4呀。

The road is so uneven and rough, it's hard to walk on.

keoi5佢fan6份jan4人sing3性gaak3格ngaam4巖ngaam4巖caam4巉caam4巉，hou2好naan4難soeng1相cyu3處。

His personality is so difficult and prickly, he's hard to get along with.

Common phrases

sing3性gaak3格ngaam4巖ngaam4巖caam4巉caam4巉

to have a prickly or difficult personality

lou6路min2面ngaam4巖ngaam4巖caam4巉caam4巉

the road surface is rough and uneven

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with 巉, which is a formal literary word for steep mountains. While 巖巖巉巉 uses the same character, it is a colloquial reduplication used for both physical surfaces and abstract personality traits.