saan1 cyun1山川
Jyutpingsaan1 cyun1
Yalesāan chyūn
Definition
Mountains and rivers.
neutralnature
How it's used
This term is primarily used in literary or descriptive contexts to evoke a sense of grand natural scenery. It is rarely used in casual, everyday speech to describe a specific hill or stream, as people would typically use 山 or 河 instead. It carries a poetic tone, often appearing in travel writing or when someone is expressing admiration for the landscape.
Examples
The mountains and rivers here are very beautiful.
Do you prefer looking at mountains and rivers or the sea?
Related words
Common phrases
beautiful mountains and rivers
Common mistake
Learners often use this term too broadly to refer to any outdoor scenery, but it specifically implies a combination of mountainous terrain and flowing water. Avoid using it for a single park or a small garden.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
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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).
