軟 / 软
jyun⁵
The Cantonese word for soft is 軟 / 软 (jyun⁵).
The word 軟 / 软 describes something that easily gives way under pressure. In the compound 軟弱, it describes someone who is weak or spineless.
Meaning: easily giving way under pressure (adj)
Which one should you use?
The antonym of 軟 / 软 is 硬 / 硬, which means hard.
How does it change in a sentence?
To adjust the intensity of the softness, you can use the phrase 好軟 for very soft or 有啲軟 for somewhat soft.
How do you pronounce it?
jyun⁵
Did you know?
- The character 軟 is composed of a silk radical on the left, indicating that the original concept of 'soft' was closely tied to the texture of silk.
- The term 軟骨頭, literally 'soft bone', is a common idiom for someone who lacks courage or cannot stand up for themselves.
- When describing food textures, 軟 is often paired with 糯 to describe a 'soft and sticky' consistency, a prized quality in many Cantonese desserts.
Examples in context
- 柔軟嘅毛巾Soft towel
- 我昨晚買咗隻柔軟嘅毛巾，用嚟擦身好舒服啊！I bought a soft towel last night, and it feels so comfortable to use!
- 呢個餅乾好鬆軟，我好鍾意食！This cookie is so soft and I really enjoy eating it!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “soft” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
