㗎噃 (gaa3 bo3)

Fact Plus Warning

Level 4Sounds Like ga3 bo3

Use 㗎噃 (gaa3 bo3) when you want to say 'It's like this, mind you!' or 'Don't forget that...'. It combines a factual assertion with a 'heads-up' tone.

How It Works

The particle cluster 㗎噃 (gaa3 bo3) is a staple of colloquial Cantonese. It is used to point out a fact that the listener seems to be ignoring, forgetting, or acting against.

It consists of two parts:

  • 㗎 (gaa3): A fusion of 嘅 (ge3) and 呀 (aa3), used to assert a fact or explain a state of affairs.
  • 噃 (bo3): A particle that indicates a reminder, a contradiction of expectations, or a mild warning.

When combined, they create a 'pragmatic reminder.' It is often used to give someone a 'heads-up' before they make a mistake or to correct someone who is behaving as if a certain fact doesn't exist. The tone is firm but not necessarily aggressive; it sounds like a helpful but serious reminder.

Examples (4)

  1. 好貴㗎噃！

    It's quite expensive, mind you!

    Word by Word: very expensive [assertion] [warning]

    Used to warn someone who is about to buy something without looking at the price tag.

  2. 聽日係公眾假期㗎噃。

    Tomorrow is a public holiday, you know.

    Word by Word: tomorrow is public holiday [assertion] [reminder]

    Reminding someone who might be planning to go to a bank or office that will be closed.

  3. 你又想玩車，又想玩波，唔得㗎噃。

    You want to play with the car and the ball; that's not how it works, be warned.

    Word by Word: you also want play car, also want play ball, not okay [assertion] [warning]

    Correcting a child's behavior by asserting a rule they are currently ignoring.

  4. 嗰度好遠㗎噃，你行唔到去㗎。

    That place is very far, mind you; you won't be able to walk there.

    Word by Word: that place very far [assertion] [warning], you walk not-attain go [assertion]

    Warning someone about the distance to prevent them from attempting a walk that is too long.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 喎 (wo5) when you want a reminder or warning.

    Different Meaning聽日係假期㗎喎 (gaa3 wo5)。
    聽日係假期㗎噃 (gaa3 bo3)。

    聽日係假期㗎喎 is a good sentence, but 喎 (wo5) reports something you heard or just realized. 噃 (bo3) is the reminder or warning: ‘Tomorrow is a holiday, you know.’

  • Using 㗎噃 when you only give your name.

    Different Meaning我個名係 John 㗎噃。
    我個名係 John 呀。

    我個名係 John 㗎噃 is fine when someone has your name wrong and you are correcting them. When you just give your name, a neutral particle like 呀 (aa3) is better, because 㗎噃 sounds like a warning.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

㗎噃 (gaa3 bo3)Level 4Fact Plus Warning

Learn This First

The compound particle 㗎噃 (gaa3 bo3) combines the factual assertion of 㗎 (gaa3) with the warning or 'mind you' tone of 噃 (bo3). To understand it, learners should first be familiar with the individual meanings of these two sentence-final particles and how 㗎 functions as a reminder of a fact.

Words in This Pattern