seng4 maan5成晚
Jyutpingseng4 maan5
Yalesèhng máahn
Definition
All night long; the whole night.
colloquialtime
How it's used
Focuses on the duration of an event spanning the entire night, often implying that the speaker feels the time was long or that the action was continuous. It is frequently paired with the particle 都 to emphasize that nothing else happened or that the state remained unchanged throughout the duration. Use this when describing activities like working, partying, or worrying that kept you up until dawn.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin term 整晚, which is less common in spoken Cantonese. Learners sometimes mistakenly use 晚 as a standalone noun for night in this context, but 成晚 acts as a temporal adverbial phrase and does not require additional particles like 喺.
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.
