faan4凡
Jyutpingfaan4
Yalefàahn
Definition
Ordinary, commonplace, or average.
writtendescriptions
How it's used
Functions primarily as a bound morpheme in Cantonese rather than a standalone adjective. It carries a sense of being mundane or belonging to the human realm as opposed to the divine or extraordinary. You will most frequently encounter it in compound words like 平凡 or 凡人.
Examples
He is just a mortal, how could he know how to fly?
This piece of clothing is very ordinary, not particularly pretty.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using it as a standalone adjective to describe things in daily speech, as it sounds literary or archaic. Use 普通 instead for everyday situations where you want to say something is average or normal.
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.
