wai4 sang1 sou3維生素维生素
Jyutpingwai4 sang1 sou3
Yalewàih sāng sou
Definition
Vitamin; a class of essential nutrients required in small amounts to regulate metabolism.
neutralhealth
How it's used
Most Hong Kongers prefer using the English loanword 維他命 over the term 維生素. While 維生素 is understood and used in formal, academic, or medical contexts, it sounds slightly stiff or overly scientific in casual conversation. Using 維他命 will make you sound much more like a local speaker.
Measure word
zung3種jungExamples
The doctor told me to take more vitamins.
Do you know what the benefits of Vitamin C are?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use the measure_word 個 for vitamins, but the correct measure_word is 種 when referring to types of vitamins.
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.
