sau2 lin2手鏈手链
Jyutpingsau2 lin2
Yalesáu lín
Definition
Bracelet; a piece of jewelry worn around the wrist.
colloquialclothing
How it's used
While 手鏈 refers specifically to a bracelet, speakers often use 隻 as the measure word instead of 條 when referring to jewelry that encircles the wrist. This reflects a common tendency to treat items worn on the body as individual units rather than long, thin objects. Using 條 is still perfectly acceptable, but 隻 adds a more natural, tactile feel to the description.
Measure word
tiu4條tìuhExamples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often default to 條 for all long, thin objects, but using 隻 for jewelry is very common in Hong Kong. Confusing the two is not a major error, but using 隻 will make your Cantonese sound significantly more authentic.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
