ngaa4 cim1牙籤牙签
Jyutpingngaa4 cim1
Yalengàh chīm
Definition
Toothpick; a small piece of wood used to remove food debris from between teeth.
colloquialfooddaily actions
How it's used
Often used in casual dining settings when asking staff for items. While it refers specifically to the wooden stick, it is frequently used as a shorthand for the act of cleaning teeth after a meal.
Measure word
zi1枝jīExamples
Are there toothpicks provided on the restaurant table?
Remember to get a toothpick to pick your teeth after eating.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using it to refer to dental floss, which is specifically called 牙線. Using the wrong term might confuse someone if you are asking for help in a pharmacy.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
