zeon2燼烬
Jyutpingzeon2
Yalejéun
Definition
Ashes or embers; the residue left after something burns.
writtennature
How it's used
Literary in nature, this character is rarely used on its own in everyday speech. It is almost exclusively encountered as part of the compound 灰燼. When referring to the powdery remains of a fire in daily life, speakers overwhelmingly prefer the word 灰.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a common noun, but it is primarily a morpheme used in formal or written contexts. Using it in casual conversation to describe cigarette ash or fireplace debris will sound unnatural or overly poetic.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
