wai6 sang1衞生卫生
Jyutpingwai6 sang1
Yalewaih sāng
Definition
Hygienic, sanitary, clean, and safe for health.
colloquialhealthfood
How it's used
Focuses on the cleanliness of an environment or the safety of food rather than personal tidiness. It is frequently used in negative constructions to criticize public facilities or street food stalls. When discussing personal habits, people often prefer using 乾淨 instead.
Examples
This restaurant is very hygienic, you can eat here with peace of mind.
Did you wash your hands before eating? That is very unhygienic.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 乾淨, which refers to being clean or tidy in a general sense. 衞生 carries a stronger implication of health safety and preventing the spread of germs.
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.
