on3 gin6按鍵按键
Jyutpingon3 gin6
Yaleon gihn
Definition
Button or key for pressing.
neutraltechnologydaily actions
How it's used
While 按鍵 is the standard term for a button on a device, most locals prefer using 掣 in casual speech. Using 按鍵 often sounds slightly more technical or formal, such as when referring to specific keys on a computer keyboard or a control panel. It is rarely used for physical switches on a wall, which are almost exclusively called 電掣.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
The button seems broken, it doesn't respond no matter how much I press it.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 按鍵 with 掣, but using 按鍵 for a simple light switch will sound unnatural. Stick to 掣 for everyday household items.
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.
