soeng6 haa6上下
Jyutpingsoeng6 haa6
Yaleseuhng hah
Definition
Approximately, or about the same with little difference.
- approximately; about
- about the same; almost no difference
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
Used primarily to indicate that two quantities or values are roughly equivalent or within a small range of each other. It often follows a measurement or a comparison to suggest a lack of significant difference. Unlike the Mandarin usage where it can mean 'above and below', in Cantonese it leans heavily towards the sense of 'approximately' or 'around'.
Examples
They are about the same age.
Do you think these two shirts cost about the same?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using it to mean 'up and down' in a physical sense, as that is expressed by 上落. Learners often confuse the two because they share the same characters but function differently in a sentence.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
