四川
sei³ cyun¹
Sichuan is the name of a province in China, expressed in Cantonese as 四川 (sei³ cyun¹).
四川 is used to refer to the Sichuan province in China.
Meaning: a province in China (name)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is sei³ cyun¹.
Did you know?
- The number 'four' in the name 四 is a homophone for 'death' in many Chinese dialects, including Cantonese, though this is usually avoided in auspicious contexts.
- The name 四川 literally translates to 'Four Rivers', though the province is famous for much more than its waterways.
- While 四川 describes a region, Cantonese speakers often use the phrase 麻辣 to describe the 'numbing spice' characteristic of the province's food. The 'numbing' sensation comes from the Sichuan peppercorn, which is technically a citrus berry rather than a true pepper.
Examples in context
- 佢喺四川出世。keoi5 hai2 cyun1 cyun1 ceot1 sai3.He was born in Sichuan.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing food at a restaurant.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit你想唔想試吓四川菜？nei5 soeng2 m4 soeng2 si3 haa5 cyun1 cyun1 coi3?Do you want to try Sichuan food?
- 雅婷 Nga Ting好呀，我好鍾意四川菜。hou2 aa3, ngo5 hou2 zung1 ji3 cyun1 cyun1 coi3.Sure, I really like Sichuan food.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit雅婷，聽講四川啲辣椒好有名。nga5 ting4, ting1 gong2 cyun1 cyun1 di1 laau4 ziu2 hou2 jau5 ming4.Ah Ting, I heard Sichuan chilies are very famous.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting係呀，所以我好期待。hai6 aa3, so2 ji5 ngo5 hou2 kei4 doi6.Yes, that's why I'm looking forward to it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sichuan” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
