zaam2 gwaa1斬瓜斩瓜
Jyutpingzaam2 gwaa1
Yalejáam gwā
Definition
To chop or hack someone to death.
colloquialdaily actions
How it's used
This expression is a vivid and aggressive colloquialism used to describe killing someone with a blade. It carries a strong, threatening tone often heard in dramatic contexts or heated arguments rather than literal descriptions of violence. It functions as a verb phrase where the object is placed between the verb and the result complement.
Examples
He is holding a knife and wants to chop someone to death.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the literal act of chopping a melon, which is also written as 斬瓜. The context of the sentence will clarify whether the speaker is talking about food preparation or making a violent threat.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
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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).
