夠
gau3
The English word "enough" is translated into Cantonese as 夠 (gau3).
夠 is a determiner used to indicate that a quantity or a state of being is sufficient. When used as an exclamation, 夠喇 can be used to tell someone to stop doing something or to stop talking.
Meaning: sufficient (det)
Which one should you use?
While 夠 is the standard form, 足夠 is a more formal version. For highly informal and potentially offensive emphasis, some speakers use the slang 夠撚. In casual conversation, one might also use the phrase 好啦 to mean "okay" or "that's enough".
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the negative "not enough", use 唔夠. To indicate that a threshold of sufficiency has been met or to say "enough already", use the pattern 夠…喇, adding the particle 喇 to the end of the phrase.
How do you pronounce it?
gau3
Did you know?
- The slang term 夠撚 uses a vulgarity that literally refers to a male body part to add extreme intensity to the word 'enough'.
- In some contexts, saying 唔夠 (not enough) can be used as a playful or flirtatious way to suggest that one wants more of something, such as attention or time.
- While 夠 means 'enough', if you are eating at a friend's house and they offer more food, saying 夠喇 (enough already) can sometimes sound more like a dismissal than a polite thanks.
Examples in context
- 夠腳開枱喇。Now we have enough people to play mahjong.This sentence shows how to express having a sufficient number of people for an activity using 夠.Tatoeba #1393419 by nickyeow, translation #1393422 by nickyeow
- 我夠錢買車。I've got enough money for a car.This sentence demonstrates using 夠 to express having sufficient money for a purchase.Tatoeba #5359864 by nickyeow, translation #958772 by CM
- Tom未夠大。Tom is not old enough.This sentence illustrates using 夠 to describe meeting a certain requirement of age.Tatoeba #4675936 by kaenif, translation #1496813 by Spamster
- 34 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a restaurant, Ka Ming and Nga Ting are deciding whether to order more food.
- 家明 Ka Ming仲要唔要再點多啲嘢食？zung6 jiu3 m4 jiu3 zoi3 dim2 do1 di1 je5 sik6?Do we want to order more food?
- 雅婷 Nga Ting唔使喇，而家已經夠喇。m4 sai2 laa3, ji4 gaa1 ji5 ging1 jau5 gau3 laa3.No need, we have enough now.
- 家明 Ka Ming係咪真係夠呀？hai6 mai6 zan1 hai6 gau2 aa3?Is it really enough?
- 雅婷 Nga Ting係呀，我哋食飽喇。hai6 aa3, ngo5 dei6 sik6 baau2 laa3.Yes, we are full.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
