金屬 / 金属
gam¹ suk⁶
The Cantonese word for metal is 金屬 / 金属 (gam¹ suk⁶).
The term refers to an atomic element or a material composed of such atoms.
Meaning: atomic element or material made of such atoms (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 金 (gam¹) meaning 'gold' or 'metal' and 屬 (suk⁶) meaning 'category' or 'kind', literally translating to 'metal category'.
How do you pronounce it?
gam¹ suk⁶
Did you know?
- In the context of Cantonese astrology and the 'Five Elements' theory, the 'metal' element is associated with the autumn season and the color white.
- The word 金 (gam¹) can also be used as a surname, meaning that many people carry a name that literally translates to 'gold' or 'metal'.
- The character 金 (gam¹) is itself a radical in the Chinese writing system, meaning that many words related to metal, such as 'iron' or 'silver', will feature this component.
Example sentences for Cantonese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “metal” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
