吋
cyun3
The Cantonese word for the English unit of length "inch" is 吋 (cyun3).
吋 is used to denote the inch, an English unit of length and its traditional equivalents.
Meaning: English unit of length and traditional equivalents (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some parts of Guangdong province, the word 寸 (cyun3) is used for "inch".
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is cyun3.
Did you know?
- The word 寸 is used in the Cantonese idiom 寸嘴, which describes someone who is sarcastic or talks back in a cheeky manner.
- In traditional Chinese medicine, a 'doctor's inch' is not a fixed value from a ruler, but is instead a relative length determined by the width of the patient's own thumb or wrist.
- In Cantonese, the character 吋 is specifically used for the Imperial inch, while 寸 refers to the traditional Chinese unit of length, which is slightly shorter than an English inch.
Examples in context
- 這條繩子有三吋長。 (ze6 tiu4 sing4 zi2 jau5 saam1 ceon3 coeng4)This rope is three inches long.
- 佢個頭髮長一吋。 (keoi5 go3 tau4 faat3 coeng4 jat1 ceoi3)His hair is one inch long.
