waan1 kuk1彎曲弯曲
Jyutpingwaan1 kuk1
Yalewāan kūk
Definition
Curved, winding, or crooked; not straight.
neutraldescriptionsnature
How it's used
While this word describes physical shapes like roads or rivers, it sounds slightly more formal or descriptive than the everyday word 彎. In casual conversation, people often prefer using 彎彎曲曲 to emphasize the repetitive, winding nature of something. It is rarely used to describe abstract concepts like personality or morality in the same way that crooked might be used in English.
Examples
The road is very winding, drive carefully.
Where does this winding path lead to?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe people who are dishonest or corrupt, as it does not carry the metaphorical meaning of crooked in Cantonese. Use 奸詐 or 唔老實 instead for those contexts.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- TonesCantonese has six tones, and the tones can change in certain grammatical contexts. Learn the six tones and the rules for tone change.
- Time and datesClock time, days of the week, months, and years. The patterns you need to make plans and talk about when things happen.
- Modal verbsHow to say can, will, may, should, must, and want. The core modal verbs of Cantonese and the differences that trip up beginners.
