gung1 cin2工錢工钱
Jyutpinggung1 cin2
Yalegūng chín
Definition
Wages or salary; money earned from work.
colloquialworkmoney
How it's used
This term carries a slightly old fashioned or rustic feel compared to the modern standard term 人工. It is often heard in contexts involving manual labor or casual work arrangements rather than professional office settings. Using it in a corporate environment might sound like you are intentionally adopting a traditional or slightly humorous tone.
Measure word
bat1筆bātExamples
How much is the wage for this job per month?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 人工, which is the default, neutral word for salary or wages in contemporary Hong Kong. Using 工錢 in a formal interview or a professional email will sound unnatural and outdated.
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.
