zoeng2 gwaak3掌摑掌掴
Jyutpingzoeng2 gwaak3
Yalejéung gwaak
Definition
To slap someone in the face.
neutralbodydaily actions
How it's used
This term is formal and often appears in news reports or legal contexts to describe physical assault. In everyday casual conversation, people typically use the more direct and visceral phrase 打巴掌 or 摑一巴.
Examples
He actually slapped that boy in the face in public.
Why did you slap someone in the face for no reason?
Related words
Common phrases
slapping incident
Common mistake
Avoid using this in casual social settings as it sounds overly clinical or dramatic, like something read from a police report.
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.
