sek3 zi2錫紙锡纸
Jyutpingsek3 zi2
Yalesek jí
Definition
Aluminium foil, commonly used for cooking and food packaging.
colloquialfoodhome
How it's used
Despite the character 錫, which means tin, this word has nothing to do with the metal tin. It is a direct phonetic borrowing from the English word tin, which was historically used to refer to aluminium foil in Hong Kong. It is the standard term used in kitchens and supermarkets, and you will rarely hear people use the more formal 鋁箔.
Measure word
zoeng1張jēungExamples
Please help me wrap the chicken wings with aluminium foil.
Do I need to line the oven with a sheet of aluminium foil?
Related words
Common mistake
Beginners often mistakenly think the material is made of tin because of the character 錫. It is important to remember that it is purely a phonetic loanword for aluminium foil.
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.
