taan4檀
Jyutpingtaan4
Yaletàahn
Definition
Sandalwood; a general term for various kinds of fragrant wood.
neutralother
How it's used
Primarily functions as a bound morpheme in Cantonese rather than a standalone noun. It is almost exclusively encountered in compound words referring to specific types of aromatic wood, most notably sandalwood. The character carries an elegant and slightly traditional connotation, often associated with incense or high-quality furniture.
Examples
Can you smell the scent of sandalwood?
Related words
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.
