zaam6暫暂
Jyutpingzaam6
Yalejaahm
Definition
Temporary; provisional; of or lasting for a short period of time.
neutraltime
How it's used
Functions primarily as a bound morpheme in Cantonese rather than a standalone verb or adjective. It almost always appears in compound words like 暫時 or 暫且 to indicate a state that is not permanent. It carries a slightly formal or literary undertone compared to purely colloquial ways of expressing time, such as 陣間 or 一陣.
Examples
Just stay here and wait for a while.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often attempt to use it as a standalone adverb, but it must be paired with other characters to form a complete word. It cannot be used alone to mean 'for a short time' in a sentence.
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.
