cyun4泉
Jyutpingcyun4
Yalechyùhn
Definition
A spring or fountain; the source of flowing water.
neutralnatureplaces
How it's used
This character is primarily used as a literary or formal morpheme in modern Cantonese. It rarely appears as a standalone noun in daily speech, where people would prefer to use terms like 噴水池 for a fountain or 山水 for natural spring water. It is most commonly encountered in place names or poetic descriptions of nature.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
This spring water tastes very clear and sweet.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 錢, which sounds similar to some speakers but refers to money. Using 泉 to describe a man-made water feature in a park will sound overly formal or poetic rather than natural.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
