wan4魂
Jyutpingwan4
Yalewàhn
Definition
The spirit or soul of a person.
colloquialpeopleemotion
How it's used
Refers to the spiritual essence or consciousness of a person rather than a physical body. It frequently appears in idioms describing intense emotional states like shock, fear, or distraction. Unlike the English word soul, it is rarely used in a religious context and instead focuses on the psychological state of being present or alert.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the English concept of a soul in a theological sense, as it is more commonly used in everyday speech to describe someone who is absent-minded or startled.
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.
