ngok3 kang2惡啃恶啃
Jyutpingngok3 kang2
Yalengok káng
Definition
Hard to stomach, tolerate, or deal with.
- hard to swallow; tough to eat
- figurativedifficult to handle; hard to stomach or tolerate
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How it's used
Originating from the image of something physically hard to chew or gnaw on, this term is now widely applied to abstract situations, tasks, or people. It carries a sense of frustration or dread, implying that the subject requires significant effort or patience to overcome. It is frequently used in professional or social settings to describe a particularly demanding person or a complex, unappealing project.
Examples
This report is really tough to deal with, I can't understand it no matter how much I read.
That client is so difficult to handle, how are you going to deal with them?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe food that is literally tough or chewy, as that would be described as 韌. It is strictly for metaphorical difficulty or unpleasantness.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
