san1紳绅
Jyutpingsan1
Yalesān
Definition
Gentry, sash, or to tie.
- member of the gentry or nobility
- archaicsash
- archaicto tie
neutralpeople
How it's used
The character 紳 is almost exclusively encountered today as part of the compound 紳士, which refers to a gentleman. It carries a slightly formal or old-fashioned nuance, often implying a sense of refinement or high social standing. You will rarely see it used as a standalone verb or noun in modern spoken Cantonese.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 伸, which means to stretch or extend. They share a similar shape but have completely different meanings and are not interchangeable.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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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.
