hung4 jan4熊人
Jyutpinghung4 jan4
Yalehùhng yàhn
Definition
A bear; a large, heavy, omnivorous mammal.
colloquialanimals
How it's used
While 熊人 is used in some contexts to refer to a bear, it is not the standard term for the animal in everyday Cantonese. Most speakers simply use 熊, and adding 人 to the end can sometimes sound like a specific nickname or a character name rather than the biological species. It is much more common to hear 熊 when talking about the animal in a general or scientific sense.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
That bear at the zoo is huge.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the term 熊人 used in some contexts to describe a person who is physically large or clumsy, as the suffix 人 often implies a person rather than an animal. Using this to refer to a bear in a formal or educational setting may sound slightly unnatural or childish.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
