saan4潺
Jyutpingsaan4
Yalesàahn
Definition
Slime or mucus; a sticky, viscous liquid.
colloquialanimalsnature
How it's used
Refers specifically to the viscous, slippery secretion found on aquatic animals like fish or snails, or sometimes on plants. It carries a slightly negative or gross connotation, as it implies something is slimy to the touch rather than just wet. It is rarely used to describe human bodily fluids, for which other specific terms are preferred.
Examples
This fish is covered in slime, it's very slippery.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 黏, which is an adjective meaning sticky or adhesive. While 潺 describes the physical substance of slime, 黏 describes the property of sticking to things.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
