pun1潘
Jyutpingpun1
Yalepūn
Definition
A Chinese surname, commonly transliterated as Poon or Pun.
neutralpeople
How it's used
Surnames in Cantonese are almost always preceded by a title like 先生, 小姐, or 太太. Unlike some other languages where surnames might be used alone in casual settings, referring to someone only by their surname can sound overly blunt or aggressive in Hong Kong. Always include a title to maintain a polite and natural tone.
Examples
That Mr. Poon is my former colleague.
Related words
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
