tong4醣

Jyutpingtong4

Yaletòhng

名詞

Definition

Saccharide; carbohydrate; the technical name for all types of sugars, starch, or cellulose.

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How it's used

Strictly reserved for scientific or nutritional contexts, this term functions as a technical umbrella category. Unlike the everyday word 糖, which refers specifically to sweet-tasting sugars or candy, 醣 encompasses complex carbohydrates like starch and cellulose that are not necessarily sweet. It is rarely heard in casual conversation unless discussing diet, health, or chemistry.

Examples

ni1呢di1啲sik6食mat6物ham4含jau5有hou2好do1多tong4醣。

These foods contain a lot of saccharides.

nei5你zi1知m4唔zi1知tong4醣tung4同tong4糖jau5有me1咩fan1分bit6別？

Do you know the difference between saccharides and sugar?

Common phrases

tong4醣leoi6類

saccharides / carbohydrates

Common mistake

Learners often confuse 醣 with 糖 because they sound identical in Cantonese. Remember that 糖 is the common word for sugar or sweets, while 醣 is a specialized character used almost exclusively in biology or chemistry textbooks.