joeng4洋
Jyutpingjoeng4
Yaleyèuhng
Definition
Ocean or sea.
neutralnature
How it's used
Functions primarily as a bound morpheme in modern Cantonese, appearing mostly in compound words like 海洋 or 汪洋. It carries a sense of vastness and distance, often evoking a more literary or grand feeling compared to the everyday word 海. You will rarely hear it used alone in casual speech to refer to the sea.
Examples
They took a ship across the ocean to travel.
Looking out from here, it is a vast ocean.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using it as a standalone noun for the sea, as native speakers will find it unnatural. Always use 海 when referring to the sea in daily conversation.
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).
