faan6 aa2 ling4梵啞鈴梵哑铃
Jyutpingfaan6 aa2 ling4
Yalefaahn á lìhng
Definition
Violin; an old phonetic transliteration.
datedother
How it's used
This term is a phonetic loanword from the early twentieth century that has largely fallen out of fashion. While it was once the standard way to refer to the instrument, it is now considered quite old fashioned or literary. Most speakers today will exclusively use 小提琴 in daily life.
Measure word
zi1支jīExamples
He loved playing the violin when he was a child.
Related words
Common phrases
to play the violin
Common mistake
Do not use this in a modern context unless you are intentionally trying to sound like a character from a period drama or a historical novel. Using it in a casual conversation will likely confuse younger listeners who may not recognize the term at all.
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.
