san1 gam1 saan1新金山
Jyutpingsan1 gam1 saan1
Yalesān gām sāan
Definition
Melbourne, Australia
colloquialplacestravel
How it's used
Historical gold rush terminology defines this name, as Chinese immigrants once referred to Melbourne as the "New Gold Mountain" due to the discovery of gold in Victoria. While younger generations are increasingly likely to use the transliteration 墨爾本, older speakers and those familiar with overseas Chinese history still use this term frequently. It carries a nostalgic and specific cultural weight that the standard transliteration lacks.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Melbourne Chinese
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 金山, which historically refers to San Francisco. Using the prefix 新 is essential to specify the Australian city rather than the American one.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.



