waan4鬟
Jyutpingwaan4
Yalewàahn
Definition
A knot of hair on top of the head, or a maidservant.
- literarya bun or knot of hair on top of the head
- literarya young maidservant with hair styled in buns
writtenpeopleclothing
How it's used
This character is primarily encountered in the compound 丫鬟, which refers to a traditional maid or servant girl. While the character itself refers to a specific hairstyle, it is rarely used in isolation in modern spoken Cantonese to describe a bun, as terms like 髻 are far more common for hair knots. Using it outside of historical or literary contexts can sound archaic or overly poetic.
Examples
She tied her hair into a bun, she looks very energetic.
The maids in period dramas are very busy.
Related words
Common phrases
maidservant
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 鬟 with 環, which means ring or circle. Ensure you do not use them interchangeably in writing, as they are completely unrelated in meaning.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
