勁

Seriously / Super

Level 4Sounds Like ging6

勁 (ging6) is a colloquial intensifier used to say something is 'super,' 'seriously,' or 'extremely' [adjective]. It is more emphatic and informal than the standard 好 (hou2).

How It Works

In Cantonese, while 好 (hou2) is the neutral 'very,' 勁 (ging6) is the 'heavyweight' version used in casual conversation.

1. Usage as an Intensifier:
It functions as an adverb and must precede the word it modifies.
Example: 勁貴 (ging6 gwai3) — 'super expensive.'

2. Usage as an Adjective:
Unlike 'very' in English, 勁 (ging6) can also be a standalone adjective meaning 'awesome,' 'powerful,' or 'highly skilled.' In this case, it is usually preceded by 好 (hou2).
Example: 佢好勁 (keoi5 hou2 ging6) — 'He is awesome/really good.' It can also modify nouns in specific slang terms like 勁人 (ging6 jan4) — 'a pro/talented person.'

3. Describing Intensity (V + 得 + 好勁):
A very common way to use 勁 is in the manner complement structure to describe the intensity of an action or state.
Example: 痛得好勁 (tung3 dak1 hou2 ging6) — 'hurts super badly' or 喊得好勁 (haam3 dak1 hou2 ging6) — 'crying really intensely.'

4. Register and Nuance:
This is strictly colloquial. You should avoid using it in formal writing, where 非常 (fei1 soeng4) is better. It implies the degree is notable or surprising.

5. Versatility:
Don't be fooled by its literal meaning of 'strong.' It can modify various word types:

  • Adjectives: 勁靚 (ging6 leng3) — 'super pretty'
  • Action Verbs: 勁食 (ging6 sik6) — 'eat a ton/intensely'
  • Stative Verbs: 勁想去 (ging6 soeng2 heoi3) — 'really/super want to go'

6. Negation Nuance:
When negating 勁 (ging6), be careful with the meaning. Saying 唔勁貴 (m4 ging6 gwai3) is grammatically fine, but it specifically means 'not super expensive' (implying it might still be somewhat expensive). If you want to say 'not very expensive', you must use 唔係好 (m4 hai6 hou2) instead. When used as a standalone adjective, 唔勁 (m4 ging6) means 'not skilled' or 'not powerful'.

Examples (5)

  1. 呢間餐廳啲嘢食勁好味！

    The food at this restaurant is super delicious!

    Word by Word: This [classifier] restaurant's food super good-taste!

    Here, 勁 (ging6) intensifies the adjective 好味 (hou2 mei6) to show the speaker is very impressed.

  2. 佢打波好勁，你未必贏到佢。

    He is awesome at playing ball; you might not be able to win against him.

    Word by Word: He play ball very awesome, you not-necessarily win-attain him.

    In this example, 勁 (ging6) is used as a standalone adjective meaning 'skilled' or 'powerful,' preceded by the degree marker 好 (hou2).

  3. 放假嗰陣我哋勁玩勁食。

    During the holidays, we played and ate intensely.

    Word by Word: Release-holiday that time we super play super eat.

    勁 (ging6) can modify action verbs to mean doing something 'a lot' or 'with great intensity.'

  4. 佢個人勁衰，你唔好理佢。

    He is a super mean person; don't bother with him.

    Word by Word: He that person super mean, you don't-good bother him.

    This shows 勁 (ging6) can be used with negative adjectives like 衰 (seoi1 - bad/mean).

  5. 我今日勁忙，冇時間食飯。

    I'm super busy today, I have no time to eat.

    Word by Word: I today super busy, not-have time eat rice.

    勁 (ging6) emphasizes the extreme state of being busy (忙 mong4).

Common Mistakes

  • Using 勁 (ging6) in formal writing.

    Different Meaning呢個計劃勁好。
    呢個計劃非常好。

    勁 (ging6) is slangy and colloquial. In a formal report or essay, use 非常 (fei1 soeng4) or 好 (hou2) instead.

  • Confusing 'not super' with 'not very'.

    Different Meaning佢唔勁靚。
    佢唔係好靚。

    Saying 唔勁靚 (m4 ging6 leng3) is grammatically valid, but it specifically means 'not super pretty'. If you want to express that someone or something is 'not very' pretty, you should use 唔係好 (m4 hai6 hou2) instead.

  • Using 好勁 when you mean a big, muscular build.

    Different Meaning佢好勁，可以搬起張枱。
    佢好大隻，可以搬起張枱。

    佢好勁 is fine and means he is really strong or really impressive. If you want to describe a big, muscular build, 好大隻 (hou2 daai6 zek3) is more exact.

How It Connects

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

勁Level 4Seriously / Super

Learn This First

To use '勁' (seriously/super), learners need to understand the basic word order for modifying adjectives. In Cantonese, degree markers like '勁' are placed directly before the adjective, similar to the basic '好' (very).

Words in This Pattern

劲