zan1 go3真個真个
Jyutpingzan1 go3
Yalejān go
Definition
Real; genuine; true; truly.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
Native speakers overwhelmingly prefer the character 嘅 over 個 when expressing the meaning of real or genuine. While 真個 appears in some older texts or specific literary contexts, using it in daily speech often sounds unnatural or like a mispronunciation of 真嘅. Most people will assume you mean 真嘅 regardless of how you write it.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse the written form 真個 with the spoken phrase 真嘅. In Cantonese, the possessive or adjectival particle is almost always written as 嘅, so using 個 in this context is a common orthographic error.
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.
