tim4 je4 je4甜耶耶
Jyutpingtim4 je4 je4
Yaletìhm yèh yèh
Definition
Slightly cloyingly sweet; too sweet.
colloquialfooddescriptions
How it's used
Reduplication of adjectives is a common strategy in Cantonese to intensify the degree of a quality. Using 甜耶耶 emphasizes an excessive or cloying level of sweetness that goes beyond just being pleasant. It carries a slightly informal and descriptive tone that makes your speech sound more vivid and native.
Examples
This milk tea is super sweet, it's hard to drink.
The cake you made is very sweet, the kids will definitely like it.
Related words
Common phrases
very sweet sweet soup
very sweet dessert
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe a person's personality or a sweet situation, as it strictly refers to the physical taste of food or drink. For describing a sweet personality, use 甜美 or 乖巧 instead.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
