waan1灣湾
Definition
The changed tone of 灣 (waan1), used as the final syllable of a place name.
How it's used
The character 灣 undergoes a tone change from the high level tone to the high rising tone when it functions as the final syllable of a proper noun, such as a district or geographical feature. This shift is a hallmark of authentic Cantonese pronunciation and helps distinguish specific place names from the generic noun. Listeners will immediately notice a non-native speaker who fails to apply this tonal shift to names like 荃灣 or 柴灣.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this specific tonal change with the base pronunciation of the character, which remains high level when used in isolation or as a non-final syllable. Learners often mistakenly apply this rising tone to all instances of the word, which sounds unnatural.
Grammar color guide
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.
