syun1酸
Jyutpingsyun1
Yalesyūn
Definition
Sour; tart, having a sharp, pungent taste or smell like vinegar.
colloquialfooddescriptions
How it's used
Beyond describing taste, this word often describes the physical sensation of muscle fatigue or soreness after intense exercise. It is also used metaphorically to describe feelings of jealousy or bitterness, similar to how English speakers use the word sour in phrases like sour grapes.
Examples
This lemon is really sour.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe spoiled food in a general sense, as Cantonese speakers prefer specific terms like 變壞 or 餿 for food that has gone bad or rotten.
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.
