gan1 hou6根號根号

Jyutpinggan1 hou6

Yalegān houh

Definition

Radical sign; the square root or radical symbol (√).

neutralschool

How it's used

Mathematical terms in Hong Kong classrooms are often a mix of English and Cantonese. While students learn the formal term 根號, they frequently use the English word root or square root during casual study sessions. It is common to hear people say 開方 when referring to the action of calculating a square root.

Measure word

go3個go

Examples

ni1呢tiu4條sou2數jiu3要gai2計gan1根hou2號aa4呀。

You need to calculate the square root for this math problem.

nei5你sik1識m4唔sik1識dim2點joeng2樣se2寫gan1根hou2號？

Do you know how to write the square root symbol?

Common phrases

gai2計gan1根hou2號

calculate a square root

Common mistake

Do not confuse 根號 with the verb 開方. The former refers specifically to the symbol itself, while the latter describes the mathematical operation of finding the square root.