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Definition
A Chinese surname, typically transliterated as Chum.
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How it's used
Primarily encountered as a family name, this character is rarely used in other contexts in modern Cantonese. It is most commonly romanized as Chum in Hong Kong, reflecting the Cantonese pronunciation rather than the Mandarin Tan. When introducing someone with this surname, it is standard to use the structure 姓 followed by the character.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the character 譚, which is a much more common surname in Hong Kong romanized as Tam. Ensure you distinguish between the two when reading names, as they are visually similar but distinct in both meaning and pronunciation.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
