caan1歺
Jyutpingcaan1
Yalechāan
Definition
Alternative or simplified form of 餐 (caan1), meaning a meal.
colloquialfood
How it's used
This character is a simplified form of 餐 that is almost exclusively seen in Hong Kong written on restaurant menus, receipts, or fast food signs to save space. It is rarely used in formal writing or speech, where the full character 餐 is preferred. You will often see it combined with other characters to denote specific meal sets like 午歺 or 早歺.
Measure word
caan1餐chānExamples
This meal is very rich.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this character in formal essays or professional correspondence, as it is considered a shorthand or informal abbreviation. It is strictly a visual shortcut for signage and menus.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
