tung2桶
Jyutpingtung2
Yaletúng
Definition
A barrel, bucket, or tubful of something.
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How it's used
While technically referring to a barrel or cask, in daily Hong Kong life this is almost exclusively used for buckets, such as those used for mopping floors or carrying water. It functions as a measure word for the contents of such containers, similar to how one might use a cup or bowl to quantify liquids or loose items.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 筒, which refers to cylindrical tubes or containers like a pencil holder or a bamboo tube. Using 桶 for a small tube or 筒 for a large water bucket will sound unnatural to native speakers.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
