「呀 / 啊」

Entry #1
Character、
Pronunciation:
  • 呀 aa3
  • 啊 aa3
Part of Speech: particle
Explanation:
  • used at the end of a response to signal that the utterance reflects the speaker's knowledge, view or feeling (this can be seen as the default particle if no other intonation or final particle is more appropriate)
    (Cant.) 唔m4知zi1啊aa3。
    (Eng.) I have no idea.
    (Cant.) 啱ngaam1啊aa3。
    (Eng.) Correct.
    (Cant.) 我ngo5買maai5咗zo2部bou6相soeng2機gei1啊aa3。
    (Eng.) I've bought a camera.
    (Cant.) 唔m4係hai6啊aa3,你nei5搭daap3錯co3車ce1喇laa3。
    (Eng.) Not really so. You've taken the wrong vehicle.
    (Cant.) 我ngo5冇mou5話waa6過gwo3唔m4同tung4意ji3你nei5講gong2嘅ge3嘢je5呀aa3。
    (Eng.) I didn't say I disagree with what you said.
    (Cant.) 我ngo5冇mou5怪gwaai3佢keoi5啊aa3。
    (Eng.) I didn't blame him.
    (Cant.) 套tou3戲hei3真zan1係hai6好hou2正zeng3呀aa3!
    (Eng.) The movie is so exciting!

  • used at the end of the utterance for plain questions
    (Cant.) 條tiu4裙kwan4靚leng3唔m4靚leng3啊aa3?
    (Eng.) Does this dress look good?
    (Cant.) 你nei5係hai6咪mai6唔m4舒syu1服fuk6啊aa3?
    (Eng.) Are you feeling unwell?
    (Cant.) 點dim2解gaai2佢keoi5自zi6殺saat3啊aa3?
    (Eng.) Why did he commit suicide?
    (Cant.) 咩me1事si6啊aa3?
    (Eng.) What's the matter?
    (Cant.) 而ji4家gaa1幾gei2點dim2啊aa3?
    (Eng.) What time is it now?

  • used as an enumeration marker, added to the end of each item
    (Cant.) 咖gaa3啡fe1呀aa3,奶naai5茶caa4呀aa3,檸ling2茶caa4呀aa3,一jat1般bun1嘅ge3飲jam2品ban2我ngo5哋dei6都dou1有jau5。
    (Eng.) Coffee, milk tea, lemon tea, etc. We serve all these common drinks here.
    (Cant.) 我ngo5哋dei6都dou1係hai6行haang4街gaai1呀aa3,食sik6飯faan6呀aa3,睇tai2戲hei3呀aa3噉gam2囉lo1。
    (Eng.) We go shopping, have meals, watch movies... things like that.

  • used to express annoyance when pronounced in an elongated way
    (Cant.) 你nei5呀aa3,同tung4我ngo5做zou6晒saai3啲di1嘢je5呀aa3~
    (Eng.) Hey you. Finish everything for me, okay?
    (Cant.) 仲zung6有jau5啊aa3,唔m4好hou2再zoi3跟gan1住zyu6我ngo5啊aa3。
    (Eng.) Oh by the way, don't follow me anymore.

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「咓 / 呀」

Entry #2
Character、
Pronunciation:
  • 咓 aa5
  • 呀 aa5
  • 呀嘛 aa6 maa5
  • 嘛 maa5
Part of Speech: particle
Explanation:
  • used at the end of sentence to express that the speaker "got the message" or has realised something, and to seek confirmation by repeating the information
    (Cant.) 呢ni1本bun2書syu1你nei5鍾zung1意ji3咓aa5?我ngo5送sung3俾bei2你nei5啦laa1。
    (Eng.) You like this book, don't you? Let me give it to you as a gift.
    (Cant.) 哦o5!佢keoi5唔m4精zing1神san4咓aa5?由jau2得dak1佢keoi5囉lo1。
    (Eng.) Oh, he's not feeling well? Let's leave him alone then.

  • to express a questioning attitude at the end of an utterance when correcting someone
    (Cant.) 呢ni1度dou6總zung2數sou3係hai6一jat1百baak3蚊man1呀aa6嘛maa5?
    (Eng.) It should be $100 in total, shouldn't it?

  • used at the end of sentence to confirm whether the worst-case scenario has happened; usually used with negative sentences
    (Cant.) 佢keoi5唔m4係hai6買maai5曼maan6聯lyun4咁gam3傻so4仔zai2咓aa5?
    (Eng.) He can't be so silly to bet on the Man-U!
    (Cant.) 你nei5唔m4會wui5冇mou5帶daai3到dou3銀ngan4包baau1咓aa5?
    (Eng.) You've got your wallet with you, right?
    (Cant.) 做zou6乜mat1咁gam3唔m4開hoi1心sam1呀aa3?今gam1日jat6冧lam3市si5,你nei5唔m4係hai6有jau5貨fo3喺hai2手sau2咓aa5?
    (Eng.) Why the long face? The stock market crashed today. Were you invested in the market?
    (Cant.) 唔m4係hai6呀aa6嘛maa5?你nei5講gong2真zan1㗎gaa4?
    (Eng.) Are you kidding? Are you telling the truth?
    (Cant.) 你nei5冇mou5嘢je5嘛maa5?
    (Eng.) Are you really okay?! (intended reading: What's wrong with you?!)

  • can be used in combination with other particles to form composite particles
    (Cant.) 𠿪;gaa5; gaa6㗎嘛maa5
    (Cant.) 咋;zaa5; zaa6咋嘛maa5
    (Cant.) 哪;naa5; naa6#哪嘛maa5

See also: 放在眼內
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「呀」

Entry #3
Pronunciation: aa4
Part of Speech: particle
Explanation:
  • used to change a statement into a question to ask for confirmation
    (Cant.) 乜mat1唔m4係hai6佢keoi5呀aa4?
    (Eng.) Oh, it's not him?
    (Cant.) 你nei5食sik6緊gan2飯faan6呀aa4?
    (Eng.) Are you having your dinner?
    (Cant.) 噉gam2呀aa4,聽ting1日jat6先sin1算syun3囉lo1。
    (Eng.) If that's really so, let's leave it until tomorrow.
    (Cant.) 哥go4哥go1呀aa4,我ngo5想soeng2問man6你nei5呢ni1個go3字zi6係hai6咪mai6咁gam2寫se2。
    (Eng.) (Older) brother? I want to ask you if this character is written in this way.

  • used with the adverb 都 (even) to express helplessness
    (Cant.) 佢keoi5都dou1唔m4去heoi3呀aa4。
    (Eng.) Even he is not going.
    (Cant.) 我ngo5都dou1唔m4知zi1佢keoi5住zyu6喺hai2邊bin1呀aa4。
    (Eng.) I don't even know where he lives.

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