seoi2 nai4水泥
Jyutpingseoi2 nai4
Yaleséui nàih
Definition
Cement; a grey powder made of calcium oxide and silicon dioxide used in construction, especially to make concrete.
neutralwork
How it's used
Refers specifically to the grey powder used as a binder, whereas the hardened material found on walls or floors is almost always called 石屎. People rarely use this word in daily life unless they are working in construction or doing home renovations. It is a technical term that distinguishes the raw ingredient from the finished concrete structure.
Measure word
baau1包bāuExamples
The pile of cement at the construction site has a very strong smell.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 石屎, which refers to concrete as a finished building material. Using 水泥 to describe a concrete wall or floor sounds unnatural to native speakers.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
