saat3 zai3剎掣刹掣
Jyutpingsaat3 zai3
Yalesaat jai
Definition
To step on the brakes; to brake.
colloquialtransportdaily actions
How it's used
This term is the standard way to describe applying the brakes in a vehicle. While it is widely understood, many locals also use the loanword 踩brake to describe the same action. Using 剎掣 sounds slightly more formal or descriptive than the casual loanword, but both are perfectly acceptable in daily conversation.
Examples
There is a car in front, step on the brakes quickly!
Common phrases
emergency braking
Common mistake
Learners often confuse the verb 剎掣 with the noun for brakes, which is simply brake. Remember that 剎掣 is an action, so you cannot say 踩剎掣, as that would be redundant.
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.
