zou2 cin4早前
Jyutpingzou2 cin4
Yalejóu chìhn
Definition
Earlier; a short while ago.
neutraltime
How it's used
Use this term primarily in formal contexts like news reports or official announcements to refer to a time in the past. It functions as an adverb to set the temporal stage for an event that has already concluded. While it is understood in speech, it carries a slightly more professional or journalistic tone compared to everyday expressions like 之前.
Examples
He moved to live somewhere else earlier.
Did you go talk to him earlier?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to refer to the immediate past, such as five minutes ago, as it implies a more significant gap in time. It is not interchangeable with 啱啱, which specifically denotes something that just happened.
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).
