saan1 wu4 sek6珊瑚石
Jyutpingsaan1 wu4 sek6
Yalesāan wùh sehk
Definition
Coral stones or coral rocks.
colloquialnature
How it's used
Refers specifically to pieces of dead coral that have washed up on the shore or are found in shallow water. It is distinct from live coral reefs which are usually referred to as 珊瑚礁. People often collect these as souvenirs, but it is important to remember that removing them from protected marine areas is illegal in Hong Kong.
Measure word
nap1粒nāpExamples
There are many coral stones by the beach here.
How many coral stones did you pick up and take home?
Related words
Common phrases
to pick up coral stones
a piece of coral stone
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 珊瑚 which refers to the living organism or the precious material used in jewelry. 珊瑚石 specifically emphasizes the rock-like, weathered state of the coral.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).



