saat3 zai3煞掣
Jyutpingsaat3 zai3
Yalesaat jai
Definition
To step on the brakes; to brake and bring a vehicle to a stop.
colloquialtransportdaily actions
How it's used
Primarily used for vehicles, this term carries a sense of urgency or suddenness compared to the more neutral 踩剎車. It is often used to describe the physical action of engaging the brake pedal forcefully. You will frequently hear it in contexts involving near misses or emergency stops.
Examples
There is a car in front, hit the brakes quickly!
He braked so suddenly that it scared me.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to mean stopping an abstract process or a person's behavior, as it is strictly tied to mechanical braking. For stopping other actions, use 停 or 停止 instead.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- TonesCantonese has six tones, and the tones can change in certain grammatical contexts. Learn the six tones and the rules for tone change.
- Time and datesClock time, days of the week, months, and years. The patterns you need to make plans and talk about when things happen.
- Modal verbsHow to say can, will, may, should, must, and want. The core modal verbs of Cantonese and the differences that trip up beginners.
