seoi2 ngan4水銀水银
Jyutpingseoi2 ngan4
Yaleséui ngàhn
Definition
Mercury; a toxic liquid metallic element with atomic number 80 and symbol Hg.
neutralhealthother
How it's used
Commonly referred to as 汞 in scientific or formal contexts, but 水銀 remains the standard term in everyday speech. It is frequently associated with old-fashioned thermometers or blood pressure monitors, which are increasingly being replaced by digital versions due to safety concerns regarding toxicity.
Examples
The mercury thermometer broke, it is very dangerous.
Do you know that mercury is actually a type of metal?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid confusing this with 水銀燈, which refers to mercury-vapor lamps, as the term does not always imply the presence of the liquid metal in a literal sense.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
