zam1鍼
Jyutpingzam1
Yalejām
Definition
Needle, acupuncture, or a medical injection.
- needle
- acupuncture
- medical injection; shot
colloquialhealthbody
How it's used
Refers primarily to medical injections or acupuncture needles in daily life. When talking about a sewing needle, people typically use the word 針 instead, even though they share the same character in many contexts. Using 支 as the measure word is essential for injections.
Measure word
zi1支jīExamples
I have to go to the clinic for an injection today.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 針, which is the general term for a sewing needle. While they are often written with the same character, in a medical context, the pronunciation and usage are distinctively associated with the act of receiving an injection.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
