cung1聰聪
Jyutpingcung1
Yalechūng
Definition
(literary) acute (of hearing)
neutralhealthbody
How it's used
This character is primarily a bound morpheme in Cantonese and rarely stands alone in modern speech. It carries a formal or medical connotation when used in compounds like 失聰, which is the standard way to refer to hearing loss. While it also implies intelligence or being clever in classical contexts, that usage is largely absent from everyday spoken Cantonese.
Examples
keoi5 sai3 go3 go2 zan6 ji5 ging1 sat1 cung1
佢細個嗰陣已經失聰。
He has been deaf since he was a child.
nei5 zi1 m4 zi1 me1 giu3 sat1 cung1 aa4
你知唔知咩叫失聰呀？
Do you know what being deaf means?
Related words
Common phrases
sat1 cung1
失聰
deafness
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 聰明, which is a common word for smart. Using 聰 on its own to mean smart is not natural in spoken Cantonese.
Tone guide
T1High level
T2High rising
T3Mid level
T4Low falling
T5Low rising
T6Low level
Grammar guides
- NegationHow to say no, not, didn't, and don't in Cantonese. The four main negation words and when to use each one.
- 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.
