soeng6 ng5上午
Jyutpingsoeng6 ng5
Yaleseuhng ńgh
Definition
Morning; the period from sunrise to noon, or the twelve hours before noon (a.m.).
neutraltime
How it's used
While standard in formal writing, Cantonese speakers often prefer the more colloquial term 朝早 when speaking naturally. Using 上午 in casual conversation can sound slightly stiff or like a news report. It specifically refers to the period between sunrise and noon, whereas 凌晨 covers the dark hours after midnight.
Examples
He went to the library this morning.
Are you free tomorrow morning?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 上午 with 朝早, but they are not interchangeable in all contexts. Using 上午 in a very relaxed setting with friends might make you sound like you are reading from a formal document or a weather forecast.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
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Classifier
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
