san1薪
Jyutpingsan1
Yalesān
Definition
Salary; wages.
writtenworkmoney
How it's used
The character 薪 is a bound morpheme that rarely appears alone in modern spoken Cantonese. It is almost exclusively used in formal compounds like 薪金 or 薪酬, whereas the everyday term for salary is simply 人工. Using 薪 in casual conversation will sound overly formal or like you are reading from a contract.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often try to use 薪 as a standalone noun because it means salary, but it is not a word that can stand by itself in a sentence. Always use 人工 when talking about your pay in daily life.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- TonesCantonese has six tones, and the tones can change in certain grammatical contexts. Learn the six tones and the rules for tone change.
- Time and datesClock time, days of the week, months, and years. The patterns you need to make plans and talk about when things happen.
- Modal verbsHow to say can, will, may, should, must, and want. The core modal verbs of Cantonese and the differences that trip up beginners.
