乾 / 干
gon¹
The Cantonese word for dry is 乾 / 干 (gon¹).
This adjective is used to describe things that are physically dry, such as clothes, hands or weather conditions.
Meaning: free from liquid or moisture (adj)
Which one should you use?
While 乾 / 干 is the standard term, 乾燥 is a formal way to say dry and 乾旱 specifically refers to dryness caused by a lack of rainfall or moisture. For an informal way to describe a complete lack of moisture or dryness throughout, you can use 乾哂.
How do you pronounce it?
gon¹
Did you know?
- In Cantonese, the word 乾 can be used as a verb meaning 'to drink up' or 'to drain a glass', similar to the English expression 'bottoms up'.
- The term 乾淨 combines the word for 'dry' with 'clean', reflecting the cultural idea that something truly clean must also be free of dampness.
- Traditional Cantonese medicine categorizes certain body conditions as 'dry', which is treated not with water, but by adding 'moistening' foods like pears.
Examples in context
- 天氣好乾燥The weather is very dry.
- 我嘅喉嚨好乾My throat is very dry.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dry” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
