ngaam4巖
Jyutpingngaam4
Yalengàahm
Definition
Cliff; a steep rock face.
neutralnature
How it's used
While 巖 refers to a cliff or crag, it is frequently confused with the homophone 啱, which means correct or suitable. In modern spoken Cantonese, 巖 is rarely used in daily life compared to the more common 山崖 or 崖邊. It often appears in place names or descriptive writing rather than casual conversation.
Measure word
zo2座jóExamples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mix up 巖 with 啱 because they sound identical. Remember that 巖 relates to physical geography, whereas 啱 is a functional word for correctness or timing.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
