gaan2梘枧
Jyutpinggaan2
Yalegáan
Definition
Soap
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How it's used
Refers specifically to a solid bar of soap. While it is a common term, many speakers prefer the compound 番梘 to avoid any ambiguity, especially since 梘 can sometimes sound slightly old-fashioned or regional depending on the speaker's background. It is almost exclusively used for solid bars rather than liquid body wash or hand soap.
Measure word
gau6舊gauhExamples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 鹼, which refers to alkaline substances or lye. While they share a similar sound in some contexts, they are distinct characters with different meanings.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- 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.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
