caan3粲

Jyutpingcaan3

Yalechaan

Definition

Beautiful, splendid, or radiant; also to smile brightly or laugh.

beautiful; splendid; radiant
literaryto smile brightly; to laugh

writtendescriptions

How it's used

This character is primarily used in literary or formal contexts to describe something exceptionally bright or beautiful. In modern spoken Cantonese, it is rarely used in daily conversation, as people would typically prefer words like 靚 or 閃亮. Using it in casual speech can sound overly poetic or archaic.

Examples

keoi5佢gam1今jat6日daa2打baan6扮dak1得hou2好caan3粲aa4呀。

She is dressed very radiantly today.

nei5你gin3見gwo3過gam3咁caan3粲ge3嘅siu3笑jung4容mei6未aa4呀？

Have you ever seen such a radiant smile?

Common phrases

radiant; bright

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with 燦, which is commonly used in names or to describe bright, sparkling things like 燦爛. While they share a similar meaning, 粲 is much more restricted to literary descriptions of beauty.