zang1 di1爭啲争啲
Jyutpingzang1 di1
Yalejāng dī
Definition
Nearly; almost; barely missing or just about to happen.
colloquialdaily actions
How it's used
Expresses that an event was very close to happening but ultimately did not occur. It is frequently used with negative outcomes like falling, missing a bus, or forgetting something important. The phrase captures a sense of relief or mild panic depending on the context.
Examples
I nearly bumped into someone just now.
You were almost late, hurry up and go.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 爭少少, which can also mean 'a little bit short' in terms of quantity or quality. While 爭啲 always implies a near-miss of an event, 爭少少 can be used to describe a physical shortage or a slight difference in degree.
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.
