ngaat3 ham1 ham1餲堪堪
Jyutpingngaat3 ham1 ham1
Yalengaat hām hām
Definition
Stinking or smelling strongly of urine.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
This term is used specifically to describe the sharp, pungent, and unpleasant odor associated with stale urine. It carries a much stronger and more visceral connotation than general words for stinking like 臭. It is often used to describe public toilets that have not been cleaned properly or damp clothes that have been left too long in a humid environment.
Examples
This place smells really like urine.
Why does your shirt smell like that?
Related words
Common phrases
a smell of urine
Common mistake
Do not use this word to describe general bad smells like garbage or rotten food, as it is specifically reserved for the ammonia-like scent of urine. Using it for other types of stench will sound confusing to native speakers.
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.
