sat1膝
Jyutpingsat1
Yalesāt
Definition
Knee; the joint between the thigh and the lower leg.
colloquialbody
How it's used
While 膝 is the formal character for knee, it is rarely used alone in spoken Cantonese. Native speakers almost exclusively use 膝頭 or 膝頭哥 to refer to the body part. Using 膝 by itself sounds like reading from a medical textbook or a formal document.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often try to use 膝 as a standalone noun in conversation, but it will sound unnatural. Always attach 頭 or 頭哥 to make it sound like real Cantonese.
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.
