ngaau5 jat1 daam6咬一啖
Jyutpingngaau5 jat1 daam6
Yalengáauh yāt daahm
Definition
To take a bite of something.
colloquialfooddaily actions
How it's used
Using 啖 as a measure word for a single bite is extremely common in daily life. It emphasizes the small, singular action of tasting or sampling food rather than consuming a whole portion. You will often hear it paired with 試吓 to suggest a casual invitation to taste something.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse 啖 with 口. While 口 can also be a measure word for a mouthful, 啖 specifically focuses on the act of biting into something solid, whereas 口 is more often used for drinking or swallowing.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
