sin1 go2 paai4先嗰排
Jyutpingsin1 go2 paai4
Yalesīn gó pàih
Definition
A while ago; some time ago; recently.
colloquialtime
How it's used
Refers to a vague, non specific period of time in the recent past. It carries a slightly more informal and conversational tone than simply saying 之前. It is often used to set the scene for a story or to explain why something happened recently.
Examples
sin1 go2 paai4 tin1 hei3 hou2 caa1 seng4 jat6 lok6 jyu5
先嗰排天氣好差，成日落雨。
The weather was really bad a while ago, it rained all the time.
nei5 sin1 go2 paai2 hai6 mai6 hou2 mong4 aa4
你先嗰排係咪好忙呀？
Were you very busy a while ago?
Related words
Common phrases
sin1 go2 paai4 hou2 mong4
先嗰排好忙
was very busy a while ago
sin1 go2 paai4 seng4 jat6
先嗰排成日
often a while ago
Common mistake
Avoid using this to refer to a specific date or a precise moment in time, as it is strictly for describing a duration or a general phase in the past. It does not function as a direct translation for yesterday or last week.
Tone guide
T1High level
T2High rising
T3Mid level
T4Low falling
T5Low rising
T6Low level
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
