hung1匈
Jyutpinghung1
Yalehūng
Definition
Chest or thorax; also referring to the Xiongnu (Huns), an ancient nomadic people.
- chest; heart; thorax
- Xiongnu; Huns, an ancient nomadic people of northern China
neutralbodyother
How it's used
While 匈 is used in historical contexts like 匈奴, it is rarely used in daily speech to refer to the body part. Cantonese speakers almost exclusively use 心口 to refer to the chest area in casual conversation. Using 匈 to describe a physical chest will sound highly unnatural or overly literary.
Related words
Common phrases
Xiongnu (Huns)
Common mistake
Do not use 匈 in casual conversation to talk about chest pain or physical anatomy, as it is strictly reserved for historical or formal academic contexts. Use 心口 instead for all everyday situations.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
