zip3囁嗫
Jyutpingzip3
Yalejip
Definition
To move the mouth as if about to speak.
colloquialcommunication
How it's used
Used almost exclusively in the reduplicated form 囁囁噥噥 to describe someone muttering or speaking inaudibly. It implies a sense of annoyance or impatience from the listener because the speaker is not being clear or direct. It is rarely used as a standalone verb in modern spoken Cantonese.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
mumbling or muttering
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 呢呢喃喃, which is a common variant for the same meaning. Learners often try to use it to mean whispering, but it specifically carries the nuance of being unintelligible or hesitant rather than just quiet.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
