添吖嘛 (tim1 aa1 maa3)

And on Top of That - Obviously

Level 5Sounds Like tim1 aa1 maa3

Use 添吖嘛 (tim1 aa1 maa3) to say 'And on top of that—obviously' or 'And... too, you know.' It highlights an additional reason or fact that supports your argument and should be self-evident to the listener.

How It Works

1. The Pragmatic Function
The cluster 添吖嘛 (tim1 aa1 maa3) serves a specific interpersonal role in Cantonese conversation. While 添 (tim1) simply adds information ('also/as well'), adding 吖嘛 (aa1 maa3) signals to the listener that this extra information is a 'clincher'—a fact that is obvious or should have been remembered. It is often used when justifying a decision, complaining, or trying to persuade someone.

2. The '仲...添' Frame
In natural speech, this particle cluster rarely stands alone. It is typically paired with the adverb 仲 (zung6, 'also/even/still') placed before the verb or adjective. This creates a 'sandwich' structure that alerts the listener that an additional, obvious point is coming.

3. Register and Tone
This is a strictly informal/casual spoken pattern. Because it carries the nuance of 'obviously,' it can sound slightly pushy or patronizing if used in the wrong context. It implies: 'Don't forget this other factor which makes my point even stronger.'

4. Word Order
The order of the particles is fixed. The additive particle 添 (tim1) must come first, followed by the mood particles 吖 (aa1) and 嘛 (maa3). In fast speech, the 'aa1' often reduces to a short 'ah' sound, making the whole cluster sound like a single three-syllable unit.

Examples (4)

  1. 呢間餐廳仲好平添吖嘛！

    And this restaurant is very cheap too, obviously!

    Word by Word: this [classifier] restaurant also very cheap [additive] [obvious]

    Here, the speaker is likely justifying why they chose this restaurant, reminding the listener of the obvious benefit of the price.

  2. 佢仲好叻添吖嘛！

    And he's very smart too, you know!

    Word by Word: he also very smart [additive] [obvious]

    This might be used to defend a person's reputation or explain why they were chosen for a task, highlighting their intelligence as a known factor.

  3. 聽日仲要返工添吖嘛。

    And I have to work tomorrow too, don't forget.

    Word by Word: tomorrow also need return work [additive] [obvious]

    A common way to decline an invitation or explain why one is leaving early, treating the fact of having work as a self-evident reason.

  4. 嗰度仲好遠添吖嘛，唔好去啦。

    And that place is very far too, obviously, so let's not go.

    Word by Word: that place also very far [additive] [obvious], not good go [suggestion]

    The speaker uses the distance as a 'clincher' argument to persuade the listener not to go.

Common Mistakes

  • Reversing the particle order.

    佢仲好叻吖嘛添。
    佢仲好叻添吖嘛。

    In Cantonese, additive particles like 添 (tim1) must be placed closer to the predicate than mood particles like 吖嘛 (aa1 maa3).

  • Using the cluster in formal writing.

    此計劃仲有效添吖嘛。
    此計劃亦屬有效。

    添吖嘛 is highly colloquial. In formal writing, use words like 亦 (jik6) or 而且 (ji4 ce2) instead of sentence-final particles.

  • Confusing it with 'only' (zaa3 maa3).

    五蚊添吖嘛。
    五蚊咋嘛。

    If you mean 'It's only five dollars (obviously),' use 咋嘛 (zaa3 maa3). 添吖嘛 (tim1 aa1 maa3) means 'It's five dollars more (obviously).'

How It Connects

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

添吖嘛 (tim1 aa1 maa3)Level 5And on Top of That - Obviously

Learn This First

This pattern is a combination of the additive particle '添' (tim1) and the compound sentence-final particle '吖嘛' (aa1 maa3). To understand this pattern, learners must first understand how '添' adds information to a sentence and how '吖嘛' marks a statement as an obvious reminder or shared fact.

Words in This Pattern

吖嘛