zoek6 dang1著燈著灯
Jyutpingzoek6 dang1
Yalejeuhk dāng
Definition
To turn on a light; to switch on the lights.
colloquialhomedaily actions
How it's used
Refers specifically to the action of flipping a switch to illuminate a room, rather than the state of the light being on. It is a very common phrasal verb in daily life, often paired with the particle 呀 or 㗎 to soften the tone when giving a reminder or asking a question.
Examples
Remember to turn on the lights when you enter the house.
Related words
Common phrases
turn on the light while you are at it
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the verb 著 meaning to wear clothing, which is a homograph. While the characters are identical, the context of a room or a switch will clarify the meaning.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
