ngai4 gap1危急
Jyutpingngai4 gap1
Yalengàih gāp
Definition
Critical or in imminent danger; urgent and involving personal safety.
neutraldescriptionsother
How it's used
Focuses on the urgency of a situation where safety or survival is at stake. Unlike the more general term 緊張, which describes nervousness or a tense atmosphere, this word implies a genuine threat or a life-or-death scenario. It is often used in formal news reports or serious discussions about emergencies.
Examples
The situation is critical right now, call an ambulance quickly.
Would you choose to give up at a critical juncture?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe being nervous or stressed about a deadline, as that would be better expressed with 緊張 or 趕.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
