慣

Get Used to Doing It

Level 4Sounds Like gwaan3

The pattern 慣 (gwaan3) is added directly after a verb to show that through repetition, you have become used to or comfortable with that specific action. It is most commonly used in the potential form to say you 'can' (得慣) or 'cannot' (唔慣) get used to something.

How It Works

1. Basic Structure: V + 慣
The core meaning is Verb + 慣 (gwaan3). While it can function as a habitual marker on its own (e.g., 食慣貴嘢 sik6 gwaan3 gwai3 je5 - 'used to eating expensive things'), in natural speech, you often add the perfective aspect 咗 (zo2) to show you have already reached the state of being accustomed.
Example: 食慣咗 (sik6 gwaan3 zo2) — 'Used to eating (this) now.'

2. Potential Forms
In daily life, you will most often hear this in the V + 得/唔 + 慣 potential construction to describe whether you can adapt to something:

  • V + 得 + 慣 (dak1 gwaan3): Can get used to / Find it possible to be comfortable with V-ing.
  • V + 唔 + 慣 (m4 gwaan3): Cannot get used to / Am not used to V-ing.

If you want to express the simple state of being used to something, use V + 慣咗 instead.

3. Standalone Verb Use
慣 (gwaan3) can also function as a standalone verb to express a general feeling of habituation or comfort, especially in the negative.
Example: 我唔慣 (ngo5 m4 gwaan3) — 'I'm not used to it' or 'I don't feel comfortable with this.'

4. Nuance: 'Acclimatized' vs. 'Spoiled'
Be careful with the resultative compound 慣壞 (gwaan3 waai6). While 慣 usually means 'to get used to,' in this context it means 'to spoil' or 'to pamper' (literally 'habit-broken').

5. Register
This is a highly colloquial and productive pattern. While the full word 習慣 (zaap6 gwaan3) is often used as a noun ('habit') or a formal verb, 慣 is the natural choice for everyday conversation.

Examples (4)

  1. 喺香港住慣唔慣呀？

    Are you used to living in Hong Kong?

    Word by Word: At Hong-Kong live accustomed not accustomed [particle]?

    This uses the A-not-A question form with the resultative 慣 (gwaan3) to ask about someone's comfort level with a new place.

  2. 我食唔慣咁辣嘅嘢。

    I'm not used to eating such spicy food.

    Word by Word: I eat not accustomed so spicy [possessive] things.

    Here, 唔慣 (m4 gwaan3) indicates a lack of familiarity or physical comfort with the spiciness of the food.

  3. 呢對鞋着慣咗就好舒服。

    Once you get used to wearing these shoes, they are very comfortable.

    Word by Word: This pair shoes wear accustomed [perfective] then very comfortable.

    The addition of 咗 (zo2) emphasizes the completion of the process of getting used to the shoes.

  4. 我睇慣咗呢個醫生。

    I'm used to seeing this doctor.

    Word by Word: I see accustomed [perfective] this [classifier] doctor.

    This implies a level of trust and familiarity built over time through repeated visits.

Common Mistakes

  • Placing '慣' before the verb like English 'used to'.

    我慣食辣嘢。
    我食慣辣嘢。

    In Cantonese, resultative complements must follow the verb. Placing it before the verb is an English or Mandarin word-order error.

  • Using '慣' to describe a past habit that no longer happens.

    我細個慣去公園。
    我細個成日去公園。

    慣 (gwaan3) describes being accustomed to something, not just the frequency of a past action. Use 以前 (ji5 cin4) or 成日 (sing4 jat6) for past habits.

How It Connects

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

慣Level 4Get Used to Doing It

Learn This First

To understand '慣' (gwaan3), you need to know how Cantonese verbs are modified by particles that follow them. It specifically functions as a resultative complement, indicating that through the action of the verb, one has reached the state of being 'used to' it. Familiarity with basic question structures like A-not-A is also helpful for using this pattern in conversation.

Words in This Pattern

惯