hoi1 gwaan1開關开关
Jyutpinghoi1 gwaan1
Yalehōi gwāan
Definition
A switch used to control the starting and stopping of a machine or appliance.
colloquialhometechnology
How it's used
Refers specifically to physical switches for electrical appliances or lights. While it shares characters with the verb meaning to open and close, the noun form is distinct in its usage as a component of a device. It is rarely used for abstract concepts like toggling settings in software, where other terms are preferred.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
This switch seems broken, it doesn't respond no matter how much I press it.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the verb phrase 開關, which means to open and close or to toggle something on and off. Context usually makes it clear, but note that the noun form almost always requires a measure word like 個.
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).
