saam1 dim2 saam1三點三三点三
Jyutpingsaam1 dim2 saam1
Yalesāam dím sāam
Definition
Three fifteen; also referring to afternoon tea time.
- three fifteen (3:15)
- afternoon tea break
colloquialtimefood
How it's used
Refers specifically to the traditional afternoon tea break taken by Hong Kong workers around mid-afternoon. It functions as a cultural shorthand for taking a short rest to recharge with a snack or drink. The phrase is so iconic that it is often used as a synonym for the tea break itself rather than just the literal time on the clock.
Examples
It is three fifteen again, let's go eat an egg tart together.
What did you have for your afternoon tea break today?
Related words
Common phrases
what to eat for tea break
to enjoy an afternoon tea break
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the literal time 3:33. While it literally translates to three-three, it is exclusively used to denote 3:15, the standard time for a mid-afternoon break.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
