ngaan6雁
Jyutpingngaan6
Yalengaahn
Definition
Wild goose; a large migratory bird of the Northern Hemisphere.
neutralanimalsnature
How it's used
Refers specifically to wild migratory geese rather than the domesticated 鵝 found on farms. It carries a strong literary and poetic association in Chinese culture, often symbolizing long distance communication or the passage of time as they migrate seasonally. In everyday spoken Cantonese, people are more likely to use 鵝 to describe the bird generally, as 雁 is rarely encountered outside of nature documentaries or classical poetry.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
In autumn, many wild geese fly south for the winter.
Related words
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- NegationHow to say no, not, didn't, and don't in Cantonese. The four main negation words and when to use each one.
- Numbers and moneyCounting, talking about money, and asking how much things cost. Includes the two words for two and the everyday words for dollars and cents.
- 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.
