zin2剪
Jyutpingzin2
Yalejín
Definition
To cut with scissors, shears, or clippers; to trim, clip, or shear.
colloquialdaily actions
How it's used
Focus on the action of using blades that pivot against each other, which is why it is almost exclusively used for scissors or shears. While it can apply to hair or paper, it is not used for slicing food with a knife, where 切 is the correct choice. When talking about hair, it is common to use it in the structure 剪頭髮.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
to get a haircut
to trim fingernails
Common mistake
Do not use 剪 for cutting with a knife or a sword, as that requires the verb 切. Using 剪 for those actions sounds like you are using a pair of scissors to chop vegetables or meat, which is physically impossible or highly unusual.
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.
