神經 / 神经
san⁴ ging¹
The English word 'nerve' is translated into Cantonese as 神經 / 神经 (san⁴ ging¹).
This term refers to a bundle of neurons.
Meaning: bundle of neurons (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is san⁴ ging¹.
Did you know?
- In Cantonese, calling someone 神經 (san⁴ ging¹) is a common way to say they are 'crazy' or 'insane'. It is similar to how an English speaker might describe someone as having 'a screw loose'.
- The first character 神 (san⁴) originally referred to 'spirits' or 'gods' before it was used in the medical term for nerves. This reflects an ancient belief that nerves were the conduits for spiritual energy.
- The character 經 in 神經 is the same character used in the word for 'classic' or 'scripture', such as in 'Buddhist scriptures'.
Example sentences for Cantonese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nerve” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
