講
gong2
The Cantonese word for 'say' is 講 (gong2).
The verb 講 is used to communicate verbally or in writing. A very common way to express the general act of talking or having a conversation is to use the phrase 講嘢, which literally means 'say things'.
Meaning: to communicate verbally or in writing (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that someone has already said something, you can add the aspect marker 咗 (zo2) after 講 to form 講咗.
How do you pronounce it?
gong2
Did you know?
- When someone is 'talking nonsense' or lying, Cantonese speakers use 講大話. Literally, this means 'saying big words', where 'big' implies the statement is inflated or false.
- The phrase 講究 uses the same character 講 but means to be 'particular about' or 'exquisite' in one's standards.
- In Cantonese, 講 is used not just for 'say' but also for 'negotiating' or 'bargaining'. The phrase 講價 literally means 'say price' and is the standard term for haggling in a market.
Examples in context
- 好難講㗎喎。It's hard to say.This example shows how to use 講 to describe something that is hard to say.Tatoeba #6109486 by nickyeow, translation #2518522 by Hybrid
- 你啱啱講咩話？What did you just say?This example shows how to use 講 when asking someone to repeat what they said.Tatoeba #6005117 by kaenif, translation #1542551 by Aomori
- 你點解咁講嘅？Why do you say that?This example shows how to use 講 when asking for the reason behind someone's words.Tatoeba #6109490 by nickyeow, translation #36442 by CK
- 我想講I want to say
- 佢講呢個派對好開心。He said the party was fun.
- 你同佢講咗啲咩呀？What did you say to her?
- 59 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a secret at a cafe.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting你可以同我講個秘密嗎？nei5 ho2 ji5 tung4 ngo5 gong2 go3 bei3 mat1 maa1?Can you tell me a secret?
- 子健 Tsz Kin我唔敢講，驚俾人知。ngo5 m4 gam2 gong2, geng1 bei2 jan4 zi1.I don't dare say it, I'm afraid people will find out.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting我保證唔會講俾其他人聽。ngo5 bou2 zing3 m4 wui5 gong2 bei2 kei4 taa1 jan4 ting1.I promise I won't tell other people.
- 子健 Tsz Kin好啦，而家我講俾你聽。hou2 laa1, ji4 gaa1 ngo5 gong2 bei2 nei5 ting1.Okay, I'll tell you now.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
