Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 勁 / 劲 | ging⁶ |
| 正 | zeng³ |
Both terms are used to describe things that are excellent or exciting. 勁 / 劲 can mean "awesome" or "intense," but it is also frequently used in colloquial speech as an adverb meaning "very" or "extremely" before another adjective, such as 勁好 (extremely good). You may also encounter the slang phrase 好正 to express that something is awesome.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 勁 / 劲 literally means "powerful" or "strong" when used as an adjective.
Which one should you use?
While both words express excellence, 勁 / 劲 emphasizes intensity or power (such as something being "really awesome"), whereas 正 focuses more on quality or being "correct" or "right" in a satisfying way.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say something is "very awesome," you can add the intensifier 好 (hou2) before 勁 / 劲 to form 好勁.
How do you pronounce it?
ging⁶
When do people say it?
When emphasizing the beauty or attractiveness of something, you can use the phrase 真係好靚 to mean "truly awesome."
Did you know?
- To express that something is 'beyond awesome', Cantonese speakers might use 勁到爆, which literally means 'so powerful it explodes'.
- While 正 means 'awesome' in a modern sense, it is also the standard word for 'positive' in electricity and mathematics.
- While 勁 can describe an 'awesome' person, it is frequently used to describe an 'awesome' amount of something, like 'a huge amount' of work or pressure.
Examples in context
- 你着件衫好正喎！That outfit of yours is awesome!
- 今晚的煙花真係好靚啊！The fireworks tonight are truly awesome!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “awesome” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
