gan1巾
Jyutpinggan1
Yalegān
Definition
A piece of cloth or other material used for wiping, wrapping, or covering.
colloquialhomedaily actions
How it's used
Functions primarily as a bound morpheme in modern Cantonese rather than a standalone noun. It appears as a suffix in various household items made of fabric. When referring to a generic piece of cloth, speakers prefer using 布 instead.
Measure word
tiu4條tìuhExamples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often try to use it as a standalone word for towel, but it must be combined with a prefix like 毛 to be understood correctly.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
