tong1鏜镗
Jyutpingtong1
Yaletōng
Definition
The loud, clanging sound of drums or gongs.
writtenother
How it's used
This character is primarily used as an onomatopoeia to represent the resonant, metallic sound of drums or gongs. It is almost exclusively encountered in written descriptions or literary contexts rather than in casual daily speech. When used in spoken Cantonese, it is typically reduplicated to mimic the repetitive beat.
Examples
A sound of drumming came from the distance.
Related words
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
