sing1猩
Jyutpingsing1
Yalesīng
Definition
Orangutan, ape, or chimpanzee.
colloquialanimals
How it's used
Refers specifically to great apes, but in daily life, it is almost exclusively used as part of the reduplicated noun 猩猩. Using the single character 猩 on its own is rare and usually restricted to formal or scientific contexts, such as in 猩紅熱 for scarlet fever.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
There is a very cute ape in the zoo.
Related words
Common phrases
ape
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 猩猩 with 猴子, but they are distinct animals. In Cantonese, 猴子 is usually referred to as 馬騮.
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.
