saan2 aai3散嗌
Jyutpingsaan2 aai3
Yalesáan aai
Definition
To order food à la carte rather than as a set meal.
colloquialfooddaily actions
How it's used
Focuses on the flexibility of choosing individual items rather than being restricted by a pre-fixed menu. It is frequently used in casual dining contexts when the group wants to avoid items they dislike in a set meal. It carries a sense of being more selective and potentially more economical if one only wants a small amount of food.
Examples
The set meals here are very expensive, let's order à la carte instead.
Do you guys want to choose a set meal or order à la carte?
Related words
Common phrases
order food à la carte
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 散叫, which is a common alternative way to write the same concept. While 嗌 is very common in spoken Cantonese for ordering food, 叫 is also widely accepted in both speech and writing.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- 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.
- 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.
