jyun1葾
Jyutpingjyun1
Yaleyūn
Definition
A bad smell, especially a musty or damp odor.
colloquialdescriptionsother
How it's used
Describes a pungent, often stale or musty odor rather than a sharp chemical scent. It is frequently used for things that have been left damp or unwashed for too long, like gym clothes or a wet towel. While it functions as an adjective, it is almost always used predicatively after a degree adverb like 好.
Examples
These socks smell really bad, take them to wash quickly.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe pleasant scents or general bad smells like garbage, which are better served by the more generic 臭. It specifically targets that distinct, heavy smell of trapped moisture or lack of ventilation.
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.
