zeon3峻
Jyutpingzeon3
Yalejeun
Definition
Steep or precipitous, or severe, harsh, and strict.
- steep; precipitous
- severe; harsh; strict
writtendescriptions
How it's used
This character is primarily a literary morpheme rather than a standalone word in spoken Cantonese. It is almost exclusively found in formal compounds like 嚴峻 or 峻峭 to describe physical terrain or abstract situations. You will rarely hear a native speaker use it in casual conversation to describe a slope, as they would prefer the more common adjective 陡.
Examples
This mountain is very steep, don't climb it recklessly.
The situation they are facing is very severe.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often attempt to use it as a general adjective for steepness, but it sounds overly formal and stiff in daily speech. Stick to 陡 for physical steepness and reserve 峻 for formal or written contexts.
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.
