zan1 ngai6真偽真伪
Jyutpingzan1 ngai6
Yalejān ngaih
Definition
Genuineness; the truth or falsity of something.
writtendescriptionsother
How it's used
Used primarily in formal or written contexts to discuss the authenticity of objects, documents, or information. While it functions as a noun, it sounds stiff and academic in casual conversation, where people prefer using 堅嘢 or 流嘢 to describe whether something is real or fake.
Examples
It is hard to tell if this watch is genuine or counterfeit.
How do you distinguish the authenticity of these goods?
Related words
Common phrases
distinguish between genuine and fake
hard to tell the authenticity
Common mistake
Beginners often mistakenly use this as an adjective to describe a person or object, but it is strictly a noun referring to the state of being genuine or fake. You cannot say 呢個袋好真偽; instead, you must use it with verbs like 分辨 or 查證.
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.
