紙 / 纸
zi²
The Cantonese word for "paper" is 紙 / 纸 (zi²).
The word refers to paper as a sheet material.
Meaning: sheet material (noun)
Which one should you use?
The term 紙張 is a formal way to refer to paper.
How do you pronounce it?
zi²
Did you know?
- Cantonese uses the word 紙 in the term 紙紮, which refers to the art of making elaborate paper effigies of houses and servants for burial rites.
- The term 紙皮 refers specifically to cardboard. While it literally means 'paper skin', it describes the thick, layered material used for boxes.
- During the Qing Dynasty, official documents were written on a special type of paper called 宣紙. This paper is unique because it is highly absorbent and allows ink to bleed in ways that are prized in traditional calligraphy.
Examples in context
- 你有冇啲白紙紙我借借呀？Do you have some blank paper I can borrow?
- 一張紙A sheet of paper
Sources
- Wiktionary, “paper” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
