咁就...

In That Case Then

Level 2Sounds Like gam3 zau6 . . .

Use 噉就 (gam2 zau6) to say 'In that case, then...', 'So then...', or 'And just like that...'. It connects a result, decision, or sudden outcome to what just happened.

How It Works

In daily Cantonese, 咁就... (gam2 zau6) is the go-to phrase for transitioning from a premise to a conclusion. It is highly versatile, used for reacting to news, moving a story forward, or expressing a sudden outcome.

Key Usage Points:

  • Character Distinction: The standard character for the gam2 sound ('so' or 'in that case') is 噉. However, you will see 咁就 almost exclusively in the wild during casual digital communication (WhatsApp, forums, social media), even though 咁 is technically pronounced gam3 ('so/very').
  • Reactions and Narrative: Use it to propose a solution ('In that case...') or as a narrative transition ('And so then...'). It is the natural partner to 如果 (jyu4 gwo2), often combining to form the structure 如果...，咁就... (If..., then in that case...).
  • Word Order Variations: You can place 咁就 at the start of a sentence, split it around the subject as 咁 + [Subject] + 就 (e.g., 咁我就... / gam2 ngo5 zau6...), or place the subject first as [Subject] + 咁就 (e.g., 佢咁就走咗 / keoi5 gam2 zau6 zau2 zo2 - 'He just left like that'). Note that 就 attaches before the entire predicate, not just the verb. This means it frequently appears before negative markers (e.g., 咁我就唔去 - 'Then I won't go') or coverbs (e.g., 咁我就同佢講 - 'Then I'll tell him').
  • 'Just Like That': In certain contexts, 咁就 acts as an idiom meaning 'and just like that' or 'in that way'. Uniquely, it can be followed directly by a noun, time, or money amount (without a verb) to express that something was suddenly lost, spent, or finished. This usage almost always carries a tone of resignation, regret, or surprise over how easily or quickly it happened (e.g., 咁就一百蚊 - 'And just like that, 100 dollars is gone' or 咁就一世 - 'And just like that, a lifetime passes').

Examples (6)

  1. 我聽日唔得閒呀。咁就後日先啦。

    I'm not free tomorrow. In that case, let's meet the day after tomorrow then.

    Word by Word: I tomorrow not free [particle]. So then day-after-tomorrow first meet [particle].

    Here, 咁就 (gam2 zau6) reacts to the fact that the person is busy, proposing a new time as a result.

  2. 如果你唔鍾意，咁就唔好買囉。

    If you don't like it, then just don't buy it.

    Word by Word: If you not like, so then not good buy [particle].

    This shows the classic 如果...就... structure, where 咁就 reinforces the 'then' part of the condition.

  3. 佢冇帶鎖匙，咁佢就入唔到屋囉。

    He didn't bring his keys, so then he couldn't get into the house.

    Word by Word: He not have bring key, so he then enter-not-arrive house [particle].

    Used as a narrative transition meaning 'and so then'. Notice the split word order: 咁 + subject (佢) + 就.

  4. 套戲咁就完喇？

    The movie ended just like that?

    Word by Word: Classifier movie so then finish [particle]?

    This demonstrates the idiomatic usage meaning 'just like that' or 'in that way', expressing surprise at a sudden conclusion.

  5. 噉就得喇。

    Then that works.

    Word by Word: So then okay [particle].

    This is arguably the single most common everyday application of this pattern, used to confirm that a proposed solution is acceptable or that a task is complete.

  6. 買兩杯咖啡，咁就一百蚊喇。

    Buy two cups of coffee, and just like that, 100 dollars is gone.

    Word by Word: Buy two cup coffee, so then one-hundred dollar [particle].

    This shows the unique grammatical feature where 咁就 is followed directly by a money amount (without a verb) to express how quickly it was spent.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the wrong tone for 'gam'.

    咁就最好喇！ (gam3 zau6 zeoi3 hou2 laa3)
    噉就最好喇！ (gam2 zau6 zeoi3 hou2 laa3)

    Learners often confuse 噉 (gam2, Tone 2) meaning 'so/in that case' with 咁 (gam3, Tone 3) which means 'so [adjective]'. Using Tone 3 here sounds like you are starting an exclamation about intensity rather than a logical transition.

  • Using it to mean 'if'.

    噉就落雨，我唔去。
    如果落雨，我就唔去。

    噉就 is the 'then' part of a sentence, not the 'if' part. You cannot use it to introduce the condition itself.

How It Connects

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

咁就...Level 2In That Case Then

Learn This First

To understand '咁就...', you need to know how '咁' refers back to a situation and how '就' marks a logical result. It is commonly used in conversational suggestions or conclusions.

Words in This Pattern