zan1 zing3真正
Jyutpingzan1 zing3
Yalejān jing
Definition
True, real, or genuine.
neutraldescriptions
How it's used
Emphasize the authenticity or the core essence of a person or object by placing this before the noun. It often carries a sense of contrast, implying that other things previously considered genuine were actually superficial or fake. It is frequently paired with the particle 嘅 to connect it to the following noun.
Examples
This is the only real good friend.
Have you tried authentic Hong Kong style milk tea yet?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this as a direct translation for the English adverb 'really' in contexts like 'I really like this'. For those cases, use 好 or 真係 instead.
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.
