唔好講嘢
m4 hou2 gong2 je5
In Cantonese, 'stop talking' is expressed as 唔好講嘢 (m4 hou2 gong2 je5).
唔好講嘢 is used as a command to tell someone to be quiet or to cease speaking. Depending on the tone of voice used, this phrase can sound quite blunt or even rude.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 唔好 (don't), 講 (speak/talk) and 嘢 (things/stuff).
Which one should you use?
You might use 收聲 to mean 'stop talking' or 'quiet down' or 住啦 to mean 'stop it' or 'cut it out'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
唔好講嘢 is an informal way to tell someone to stop talking. If you want to ask someone to be quiet more politely, you can use 請靜一靜.
How do you pronounce it?
m4 hou2 gong2 je5
Did you know?
- The term 收聲 is much more aggressive than 唔好講嘢 because it literally commands someone to 'collect' their voice.
- While 唔好講嘢 is a command, Cantonese speakers often use the particle 啦 at the end of phrases like 住啦 to soften a command or make it sound like a plea.
- In some contexts, telling someone to 'stop talking' by using 收聲 is considered so aggressive that it is equivalent to a verbal slap in the face.
Examples in context
- 你唔好講嘢。nei5 m4 hou2 gong2 je5.Stop talking.
- 佢叫我唔好講嘢。keoi5 giu3 ngo5 m4 hou2 gong2 je5.He told me to stop talking.
- 我哋唔好講嘢，要靜啲。ngo5 dei6 m4 hou2 gong2 je5, jiu3 zing6 di1.Let's stop talking and be quiet.
Example conversation
Two friends are in a movie theater.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan子健，唔好講嘢，電影開始喇。zi2 gin6, m4 hou2 gong2 je5, din1 jing3 hoi1 ci2 laa3.Zijian, stop talking, the movie has started.
- 子健 Tsz Kin對唔住，我只係想問一樣嘢。deoi3 m4 zyu6, ngo5 zi2 hai6 soeng2 man6 jat1 joeng6 je5.Sorry, I just wanted to ask one thing.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan等陣先，而家唔好講嘢。dang2 zan6 sin1, ji1 gaa1 m4 hou2 gong2 je5.Wait a moment, stop talking for now.
- 子健 Tsz Kin好啦，我唔講。hou2 laa1, ngo5 m4 gong2.Okay, I won't talk.
