san1 seoi2薪水
Jyutpingsan1 seoi2
Yalesān séui
Definition
Salary; pay; the compensation received for work.
neutralworkmoney
How it's used
Although 薪水 is widely understood, it sounds slightly more formal or literary compared to the everyday terms 人工 or 糧. You will often see it in written job advertisements or formal contracts, whereas in casual conversation, people almost exclusively use 人工.
Measure word
fan2份fánExamples
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using 薪水 in very casual settings where it might sound like you are reading from a newspaper or a formal document. Use 人工 instead to sound more natural and local.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
