sam1 geng1 geng1心驚驚心惊惊
Jyutpingsam1 geng1 geng1
Yalesām gēng gēng
Definition
To feel nervous, frightened, or apprehensive.
colloquialemotion
How it's used
Reduplication is a common way to express a heightened or lingering emotional state in Cantonese. Using this specific reduplication conveys a sense of jittery, unsettled anxiety rather than a deep, clinical fear. It is frequently used to describe the feeling of being spooked by something unexpected or the apprehension felt before a daunting task.
Examples
Seeing that big dog, I really feel nervous.
Do you feel nervous walking alone on the road at night?
Related words
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Adjective
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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.
