ping1 ping1 pong1 pong1乒乒乓乓
Jyutpingping1 ping1 pong1 pong1
Yalepīng pīng pōng pōng
Definition
The loud, clattering sound of objects falling, clashing, or breaking.
colloquialdaily actionsdescriptions
How it's used
This onomatopoeia specifically evokes the sharp, metallic or glass-like clatter of objects colliding or shattering. It is almost always used with the particle 噉 or 咁 to describe the manner in which an action is performed, emphasizing the chaotic or clumsy nature of the noise. It carries a slightly annoyed or impatient tone when used to question someone's disruptive behavior.
Examples
There's a clattering sound from the kitchen, did you break a bowl?
What are you doing in the room, making such a clattering noise?
Related words
Common phrases
in a clattering manner
to make a clattering mess
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe soft or dull thuds, as it is reserved for high-pitched, crisp, or clashing sounds. It is also strictly an adverbial or descriptive phrase, not a noun that can stand alone as the object of a verb.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
