緊張 / 紧张
gan² zoeng¹
The Cantonese word for nervous is 緊張 / 紧张 (gan² zoeng¹).
緊張 / 紧张 is used to describe the feeling of being nervous or apprehensive. It can also be used to describe a situation that is tense or high-pressure.
Meaning: apprehensive, anxious (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that someone is 'very nervous', you can add the adverb 好 (hou2) before the adjective to get 好緊張.
How do you pronounce it?
gan² zoeng¹
Did you know?
- The character 緊 literally means 'tight' or 'fastened', reflecting the physical sensation of a tightening chest or muscles that accompanies nervousness.
- While English speakers use 'nervous' to describe an emotional state, Cantonese speakers can also use 緊張 to describe a physical sensation of tightness or tension in the muscles.
- Because the word implies a sense of tightness, a Cantonese speaker might use it to describe a person who is being too 'strict' or 'unyielding' in their rules.
Examples in context
- 我上台演講，真係好驚。I am really nervous about speaking on stage.
- 我見到佢好緊張。I see him/her being very nervous.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nervous” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
